Execs Peg Cooper Flagg as Rookie of the Year Favorite; 2026 Draft Race Wide Open

Part 1: Who’s College Basketball’s Best In 2026?

One of NCAA college basketball’s main storylines in a 2024-25 season full of them was the hotly contested battle between Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Auburn’s Johni Broome for the various national player of the year awards across the country. Ultimately, Flagg swept everything but the Sporting News Player of the Year Award, which went to Broome. It was an interesting dynamic to compare the 18-year-old phenom Flagg with the 23-year-old stalwart Broome…

Execs Peg Cooper Flagg as Rookie of the Year Favorite; 2026 Draft Race Wide Open

Now that the 2025 Summer League has wrapped up, the NBA is turning its attention to what recently drafted players might bring to their teams, as well as to the outlook for next year’s class. Among league personnel, there is a near-consensus that Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg will win Rookie of the Year, according to ESPN’s annual survey of executives and scouts, conducted this year by Jeremy Woo. Flagg was the overwhelming favorite, earning 17 …