Recognized as the top individual honor a player can receive in college basketball, the Wooden Award is given annually to the most outstanding men’s and women’s college basketball players. In this report, SBS will be going over candidates with the best odds to take home the men’s Wooden Award for the 2023-24 season. The frontrunner per multiple sites is the 2023 winner, center Zach Edey of Purdue. A towering presence at seven-foot-four, the Canadian frontcourt staple is a wrecking ball in the Big Ten. Another player to watch is Duke’s Kyle Filipowski who could be in for a huge season after he won the ACC Rookie of the Year award this past season. Rounding out the top four is Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson who just transferred from Michigan and North Carolina’s Armando Bacot, a centerpiece player for the Tar Heels.
For this article, SBS will be breaking down each player, selecting a predicted winner for the Wooden Award, and also sharing some more notes about college basketball wagering.
| NCAA Basketball 2024 Men's Wooden Award |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Edey (Purdue) | +175 | +175 | +175 |
| Kyle Filipowski (Duke) | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Hunter Dickinson (Kansas) | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Armando Bacot (UNC) | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
As noted above, Edey is the reigning consensus National Player of the Year for Purdue and had an excellent campaign last season. Averaging 22.3 points per game, along with an astounding 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per contest, Edey was able to disrupt nearly the offense he and the Boilermakers encountered. While Purdue did come up short at the NCAA Tournament, the Canadian star was a huge reason why they were so successful to begin with. The tallest player in Big Ten history has an excellent chance to repeat this year if he can have another clean bill of health.
A former consensus five-star recruit, Filipowski was one of the top players in the class of 2022 and is poised to become the next big star for the Blue Devils. As a freshman last season for Duke, he averaged 15.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game and led all Division I freshmen with a sensational 16 double-doubles. The ACC Rookie of the Year, he will have to bounce back from offseason hip surgery that repaired malformed hip joints atop both legs.
The Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2021 and a consensus second-team All-American choice, Dickinson will be sporting a new look this year as a member of the Jayhawks. Last season for the Wolverines he put together another impressive campaign, posting averages of 18.5 points per contest along with 9.0 boards per game. Perhaps the next step in Dickinson’s evolution will come as a member of Bill Self’s squad in Lawrence.
The last athlete spotlight for our list, Bacot has been a staple of the Tar Heels lineup the past couple of seasons, and for good reason. A third-team All-American selection last year and a two-time first-team All-ACC choice (2022 and 2023), the Richmond, Virginia native is a powerful presence. After last season, he holds the North Carolina program records for double-doubles and career rebounds. The challenge for Bacot is if he can develop into a more consistent offensive threat and improve his free throw numbers (65% last season).
Prediction: Similar to the Heisman, the Wooden Award does not normally have consecutive repeat winners, but this is the year things change with Edey repeating.
Once you are all dialed in regarding the latest news and notes coming from the world of college basketball, make sure to check out all the fantastic resources for you over at SBS. Of course, for even more insights on the sport at hand, our NCAAB betting sites rundown has you covered with all the latest betting markets on the sport. On a separate note, our best betting apps guide is a must-read page for those on the go. Here you can explore more of the perks of mobile betting and all it offers. Finally, a great page to peruse if you are looking for some higher stakes betting is the VIP sports betting sites breakdown. On this page you can learn more about VIP wagering and if it is the right fit for you.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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