As we enter October, not much is happening regarding college basketball news. Luckily, however, this means that essentially all coaching jobs and rosters have been filled out. This being the case, here are my preseason individual award picks for the 2024–25 college basketball season.
National Player of the Year: Mark Sears, University of Alabama
Sears’ argument for NPOTY is as straightforward as it gets. He is one of the best players from a Final Four team and, this season, he is returning for his fifth year of college hoops. He has significantly developed his playmaking ability, putting together four assists per game last year. Additionally, he averaged a highly efficient 21.5 points per game, which put him 11th in the nation for PPG. The Crimson Tide guard will almost certainly be the best guard in NCAA basketball — and likely the best overall player.
Most Impactful Freshman: Cooper Flagg, Duke University
As most general basketball fans know, Flagg was the number one recruit in the country coming out of high school. While these rankings do not always accurately predict actual performance, from what I’ve seen, Flagg is the real deal and is rightfully considered one of the most highly touted first-years in the last decade. Joining a Duke team that needs him to play a large role, I would not be surprised if he leads the team in scoring and is one of their defensive anchors. Some people even have the new Blue Devil as their NPOTY.
Most Impactful Transfer: Kadary Richmond, St. John’s University
While it may look like I am simply picking the number one ranked transfer for the upcoming season, I am entirely basing this pick on what I saw from Richmond at Seton Hall University and how I see him fitting into Rick Pitino’s program at St. John’s. Last year, he led a fairly weak roster to 4th place in the Big East, averaging just under 16 points per game for the Pirates. Now, he’s on a relatively underrated team with several quality players and is being coached by one of the smartest minds in the sport.
Coach of the Year: Nate Oats, University of Alabama
It seems like Alabama is now a college basketball powerhouse with how consistently Oats has been pumping out great teams in Tuscaloosa. Returning three of five top scorers from his 2024 Final Four team and bringing in the second-best recruiting class in the nation only behind Duke, Oats will be coaching one of the favorites to win it all next season. If he can win the SEC and earn a top seed in March, he deserves this award.
