Candid Coaches 2025: Who Will Be the Best College Basketball Player This Season?

Candid Coaches 2025: Who Will Be the Best College Basketball Player This Season?

Every fall, CBS Sports’ Candid Coaches series takes the pulse of the men’s college basketball world, polling nearly 100 coaches across the country to get their unfiltered opinions on the biggest questions of the season. This week, after unveiling predictions on the best team of 2025-26, the attention shifted to an even hotter topic: who will be the best player in the nation this year?

The answers produced both a familiar favorite and some tantalizing challengers.

Braden Smith Runs Away With It

More than half the coaches polled (51%) picked Braden Smith of Purdue as their choice for the nation’s best player. For perspective, that’s the highest vote share any player has ever received in this poll outside of the Zach Edey era.

Smith, a senior point guard, has been the engine of Matt Painter’s program since he stepped on campus. Despite his modest 6-foot, 170-pound frame, coaches rave about his vision, pace, and ability to dictate the game’s tempo.

“No one else in college basketball impacts the game and his team like him,” one coach said. “Year 4 in the same program, same coach that’s a huge advantage.”

Another added:

“Purdue will have a top-five team and he’s a magician with the ball in his hands. The game is played at his speed.”

Smith, who averaged 15.8 points and 7.2 assists last season, is expected not only to carry Purdue into another deep March run but also to cement his place among the most decorated point guards of his generation.

The Case for JT Toppin

Coming in second with 14% of the vote was JT Toppin of Texas Tech. A bruising forward who turned heads during the NCAA Tournament, Toppin put up 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game in the Red Raiders’ four March games.

His decision to bypass the NBA Draft raised eyebrows, but it also positioned him as one of the most dominant returning players in the sport.

“Proven multi-year producer with big-time tourney experience,” one coach said. “You can’t speed him up in the post. He’s lethal in the short roll.”

While questions remain about whether Texas Tech can stay in the national spotlight, Toppin’s production alone makes him a serious contender for National Player of the Year.

The Freshman Wave: Peterson, Dybantsa, Boozer

The poll also revealed just how excited coaches are about the new era of five-star freshmen:

• Darryn Peterson (Kansas, 9%) – A scoring guard with a steady hand, already being viewed as a potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
• AJ Dybantsa (BYU, 7%) – Called “the most talented player in college basketball” by one coach, his size and scoring versatility could make him an instant star.
• Cam Boozer (Duke, 4%) – The son of Carlos Boozer, he’s relentless, physical, and has a knack for winning plays.

If Smith and Toppin are the safe picks, these freshmen represent the wildcards talents so dynamic they could redefine the season’s storylines overnight.

Dark Horses: Dent and Lendeborg

• Donovan Dent (UCLA, 5%) – Dubbed “the fastest player in America,” Dent’s speed, vision, and defensive instincts could make him a breakout star under Mick Cronin.
• Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan, 4%) – A do-it-all transfer who thrives in every statistical category, now paired with Dusty May’s offensive system.

Both might not have the preseason headlines, but they have the tools to shock the country.

The Takeaway

Since 2012, Candid Coaches has asked this same question almost every year. The list of past winners reads like a who’s who of recent college hoops legends: Marcus Smart, Frank Kaminsky, Kris Dunn, RJ Barrett, Cassius Winston, Drew Timme, and Cooper Flagg.

Now, Braden Smith joins that elite company with a record-setting share of the vote.

Yet, if history tells us anything, it’s that the preseason favorite doesn’t always finish as the year’s best. With Toppin’s dominance, the freshman trio’s upside, and dangerous wildcards like Dent and Lendeborg, the 2025-26 season is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable—and most exciting player races in years.

The ball tips in November. By March, we’ll know if the coaches’ confidence in Smith was prophetic or premature.