INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – We are more than halfway through what’s growing into an outstanding 2025-26 season. With a bevy of bona fide Final Four contenders and no shortage of standout studs in every class, college basketball has been gifted with an especially strong crop of nominees for All-America honors and the biggest individual award of them all: the Oscar Robertson Trophy.
With two months to go until the NCAA Tournament, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association is releasing its Midseason Watch List for the “Big O” Trophy today. The award is handed out annually at the men’s Final Four to the best player in college basketball and has been named after Robertson since the 1997-98 season. Its origins date back to 1958-59; the Oscar Robertson Trophy is the longest-running POY award in college basketball.
“Our list is 25 names deep, but in tabulating the ballots, there are 30-plus players who have a viable case to be included,” USBWA President Matt Norlander said. “The next eight weeks are going to be riveting and could wind up producing a second straight season with a fantastic, up-for-grabs race for the best player in college basketball. All signs indicate we are in the midst of one of the best seasons for the sport in the past 25 years.”
Here are the 25 members of the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List:
Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Cameron Boozer, Duke
Jaden Bradley, Arizona
AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
Kingston Flemings, Houston
Keyshawn Hall, Auburn
Thomas Haugh, Florida
Graham Ike, Gonzaga
Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Alex Karaban, Connecticut
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
Boopie Miller, SMU
Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Labaron Philon, Alabama
Braden Smith, Purdue
Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina
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.