There are two major awards in college basketball that act as the sport’s Heisman Trophy. The first is arguably the more prestigious award and that’s the Naismith Award, given annually to the nation’s best player. The second is the Wooden Award which is also given to the top player in college basketball.
Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. is the early favorite to win one of those major awards.
DraftKings posted its early favorites for the Wooden Award and the Spartan point guard topped the list with the best odds of any player in college basketball. That’s right, Vegas believes that the nation’s top player for 2026-27 resides in East Lansing.
Here’s how the top five favorites look as of June 29:
- Jeremy Fears Jr. (+850)
- Thomas Haugh, Florida (+1000)
- John Blackwell, Duke (+1300)
- David Mirkovic, Illinois (+1300)
- Tounde Yessoufou, St. John’s (+1500)
The last time that Michigan State had arguably the best player in college basketball was 2019-20 with Cassius Winston. Before that, it was Denzel Valentine who was in the running for national player of the year, and a few years before him was Draymond Green.
No Spartan has ever won the Wooden Award, so Fears is aiming to become the first. He’ll have some stiff competition at the top, especially with the five favorites above all playing for title contenders.
It’s nice to see Fears get the love he deserves.
And some people don’t think he has a chance to go in round one next year. Crazy.
Other notable Wooden Award favorites
Fears wasn’t the only familiar name on the list of DraftKings’ Wooden Award contenders. There were other Spartans who were given early odds as well as Big Ten opponents.
Here’s who I thought was the most notable outside of Fears:
- Coen Carr (+6000)
- Jasiah Jervis (+13000)
- Stefan Vaaks, Illinois (+3500)
- Trey McKenney, Michigan (+4000)
- Elliot Cadeau, Michigan (+4000)
- Brandon McCoy Jr., Michigan (+4000)
- Pryce Sandford, Nebraska (+5000)
- Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois (+6000)
- Moustapha Thiam, Michigan (+7400)
- JP Estrella, Michigan (+9000)
- Aiden Sherrell, Indiana (+10000)
- John Mobley Jr., Ohio State (+10000)
- Tomislav Ivisic, Illinois (+12000)
- Alijah Arenas, USC (+15000)
- Jalen Haralson, Tennessee (+15000)
- CJ Cox, Purdue (+15000)
- Nolan Winter, Wisconsin (+15000)
- Daniel Jacobsen, Purdue (+25000)
There are of Big Ten names on the list as well as former Michigan State targets like Sherrell and Haralson. It’s interesting to see Jervis ahead of guys like Arenas and Haralson already and not too far behind Sherrell, Ivisic, and Mobley Jr.
Michigan State is well-represented, but so is the Big Ten.
Hopefully the next Wooden Award winner resides in East Lansing.
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