The National Player of the Year race is seemingly down to just two players. One is Johni Broome (18 ppg and 10.7 rpg), the star of the No. 1 Auburn Tigers. The other is Cooper Flagg (19.6 ppg and 7.5 rpg), the freshmen phenom of the Duke Blue Devils, currently ranked No. 2 overall in the latest AP top-25 poll.
There has been plenty of debate between the two stars as to who should get the Wooden Award. Flagg has been playing at an elite level for over a month, scoring 16+ points in each of the last eight games. That includes a recent 28-point and seven-rebound effort in a home win over Wake Forest.
Yet the one thing that has hurt Flagg has been the lack of competition in the ACC. Right now, Clemson and Louisville are the only other clear teams that will make the NCAA Tournament, with a couple of others on the bubble. Meanwhile, the SEC is set to break the record of most teams even to make the Big Dance in a single season (Big East had 11 in 2011), with 12-14 programs potentially getting in. That includes Auburn and Broome.
Johni Broome’s most recent two games.
However, even the most minor thing that could prove the difference at this season stage is an awards race. On Tuesday, Auburn fell on the road at Texas A&M, 83-72. It was a rare off-game for Broome, producing eight points and seven rebounds. There’s no shame in losing to an Aggies squad that was recently ranked in the top 10, but it may have opened a path for Flagg to become the clear top contender for the National Player of the Year Award.
This weekend, both teams have major matchups as final opportunities to make a big statement. Flagg and Duke play at rival North Carolina, while Auburn hosts its rival Alabama. If one has a big game, that could determine who wins National Player of the Year.