INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has named five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Sunday, Nov. 9.
For the 2025-26 season, the USBWA continues its national player of the week program that has been affiliated with the Oscar Robertson Trophy since the 2009-10 season. Prior to the 2024-25 season, the USBWA had recognized just one player each week.
Each Tuesday during the regular season, designated USBWA board members will select five standouts from the 31 Division I conference players of the week to be recognized. This week's selections were chosen from a list of the conferences that named a player of the week on Monday.
Following are the five players selected for performances this past week ending Nov. 16:
Cameron Boozer, Duke (ACC)
Boozer averaged 25.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.5 blocked shots per game during a 2-0 week while shooting 70.8% from the field and 50.0% on 3-point attempts. He put up 35 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks, connecting on 13-of-16 field goals in a 100-62 win against Indiana State on Friday. He's the first major conference freshman to reach 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists with no more than one turnover since Carmelo Anthony of Syracuse in 2003. Boozer now joins Zion Williamson (2019) and Christian Laettner (1990) as the third Duke player in the past 45 years to record 30 points and 10 rebounds in a game. The 35 points is tied for second among Duke's freshman single-game scoring leaders. In last Tuesday's action, he tallied 15 points, nine boards, four assists, two steals and two rejections playing 26 minutes in a 114-59 victory at Army,
Mikel Brown, Louisville (ACC)
Brown had a dominating week in the Cardinals' 96-88 win over No. 9/8 Kentucky and a 106-81 victory over Ohio, averaging 24.0 points and 6.0 assists per game. Against Kentucky Brown led all scorers with 29 points, dishing out five assists with two rebounds and commiting just one turnover. Hitting 10-of-11 free throws boosted his point total. From the hard-to-find stats department, the 29 points are the fourth-most points by any ACC freshman against a top 10 non-conference opponent since 2010-11. Last Saturday against Ohio, he neared a double-double with 19 points and seven assists hitting 3-of-6 trey attempts with a steal. Brown was also named the USBWA's Wayman Tisdale National Freshman Player of the Week by CBS Sports.
Kingston Flemings, Houston (Big 12)
Flemings led the Cougars in scoring and assists, averaging 20.0 points, 8.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game in wins over Oakland and No. 22/25 Auburn. He opened the week with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field while he notched a career-high nine assists without a turnover against the Golden Grizzlies. The freshman from San Antonio then helped UH capture a neutral-site victory over the Tigers with a game-winning block to secure a 73-72 win. Flemings tallied a career-high 22 points, a game-high seven assists and grabbed five defensive boards in 34 minutes. He is the league’s first player to earn both Big 12 honors in the same week in their collegiate debut season since 2021.
Delrecco Gillespie, Kent State (Mid-American)
Just five games into the 2025-26 season, Gillespie has posted a double-double in all five appearances, including another three this past week to tie for the national lead. Gillespie tallied 12 points and 12 rebounds against UNCW, 30 points (a new career high) and 13 rebounds against Cleveland State, and 26 points and 17 rebounds against Wright state. Over three Kent State victories he totaled 68 points and 42 boards while converting on 26 of 41 field goal attempts.
Braden Smith, Purdue (Big Ten)
Smith averaged 22.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 7.5 assists as Purdue scored a pair of wins, incluiding an 87-80 win at No. 8 Alabama, a fellow Final Four participant last season. Smith scored 29 points against the Crimson Tide, including 21 in the second half. He had his 19th career double-double with 16 points and 10 assists in a win over defending MAC champion and preseason favorite Akron.
Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation's oldest award and the only one named after a former player.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership. The winner of the award will be announced at the 2026 Men's Final Four in Indianapolis, with the formal presentation to follow at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 800 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.
2025-26 USBWA Men's Weekly Honors
• Week ending Nov. 9: TJ Long, Vermont; Koa Peat, Arizona; Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama; Bruce Thornton, Ohio State; Caleb Wilson, North Carolina.
• Week ending Nov. 16: Cameron Boozer, Duke; Mikel Brown, Louisville (ACC); Kingston Flemings, Houston (Big 12); Delrecco Gillespie, Kent State (Mid-American); Braden Smith, Purdue (Big Ten).