2020 Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Odds Tracker
- The Naismith Player of the Year Award is college basketball’s biggest individual accolade
- Upperclassmen dominate the history of the award, even in the one-and-done era
- Looking for current Naismith POY odds?
Every season, online sportsbooks routinely post odds on who will win the Naismith Player of the Year as the country’s top college basketball player.
Here, we track the odds across all major sportsbooks and show the odds movement throughout the season.
2020 Naismith Top Contenders
Mar 18: We might not have a Tournament, but we have our five Naismith Finalists – with Obi Toppin remaining the clubhouse leader
Mar. 2: Bettors have hammered Toppin, whose odds improved from +190 to +120 over the last four days.
Feb. 27: We finally have an update to the Naismith race with March right around the corner, as Dayton’s Obi Toppin & Iowa’s Luka Garza lead the way on a field that looks drastically different from November
Nov. 14: Cassius Winston remains the favorite despite Michigan State’s struggles out of the gate
Nov. 6: With the season’s opening night behind us and a 38-point effort from Markus Howard, he has shortened to +800. James Wiseman has also shortened to +600 after an impressive debut for Penny Hardaway in Memphis
Oct. 24: Michigan State’s Cassius Winston has opened as a big favorite to win the award, with +140 odds, while Louisville’s Jordan Nwora is his closest competitor opening at +550
2020 Naismith Player of the Year Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Obi Toppin (Dayton) | +150 |
| Luka Garza (Iowa) | +200 |
| Udoka Azubuike (Kansas) | +400 |
| Myles Powell (Seton Hall) | +600 |
| Payton Pritchard (Oregon) | +700 |
Odds last updated March 18th
Naismith Winners by Class
Williamson became just the third freshman to win the award last season, and Cole Anthony will look to become the fourth this year.
Naismith Winners by Position
Four of the first six Naismith Award recipients were centers, but that trend has changed in recent years as more schools have adopted small ball lineups. The last center to win the honor was Tim Duncan, who won by a landslide in 1997 during his senior season at Wake Forest.
Past Naismith Award Winners
| Player | Class | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Zion Williamson (F, Duke) | Freshman | 2019 |
| Jalen Brunson (G, Villanova) | Junior | 2018 |
| Frank Mason III (G, Kansas) | Senior | 2017 |
| Buddy Hield (G, Oklahoma) | Senior | 2016 |
| Frank Kaminsky (F, Wisconsin) | Senior | 2015 |
| Doug McDermott (F, Creighton) | Senior | 2014 |
| Trey Burke (G, Michigan) | Sophomore | 2013 |
| Anthony Davis (F, Kentucky) | Freshman | 2012 |
| Jimmer Fredette (G, BYU) | Senior | 2011 |
| Evan Turner (G, Ohio State) | Junior | 2010 |
| Blake Griffin (F, Oklahoma) | Sophomore | 2009 |
| Tyler Hansbrough (F, UNC) | Junior | 2008 |
| Kevin Durant (F, Texas) | Freshman | 2007 |
| JJ Redick (G, Duke) | Senior | 2006 |
| Andrew Bogut (F, Utah) | Sophomore | 2005 |
| Jameer Nelson (G, St. Joseph’s) | Senior | 2004 |
| TJ Ford (G, Texas) | Sophomore | 2003 |
| Jason Williams (G, Duke) | Junior | 2002 |
| Shane Battier (F, Duke) | Senior | 2001 |
| Kenyon Martin (F, Cincinnati) | Senior | 2000 |
Zion Williamson capped off his record breaking season at Duke by winning the Naismith after averaging 22.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, while shooting an incredible 68% from the field.
Schools with the Most Naismith Winners
