Indiana University Athletics
DeVries Lands on Wooden Award 2025-26 Men’s Preseason Top 50 Watchlist
11/18/2025 3:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award, presented by Principal, announced its 2025-26 Men's Preseason Top 50 Watchlist, including redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries, on Tuesday afternoon at WoodenAward.com, launching the 50th anniversary season of college basketball's most prestigious individual honor.
Selected by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list comprises 50 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball: the Wooden Award All-American Team™ and the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award® Men's Player of the Year. Players not selected for the list remain eligible for inclusion on the Wooden Award® midseason, late-season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot will feature 15 top players who have demonstrated to their universities that they meet or exceed the Wooden Award® qualifications.
DeVries, the NCAA's active leader in career points, began the season as Co-Big Ten Player of the Week after averaging 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.0 steal per game during the opening week. Through four games, DeVries is averaging 17.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest. He is shooting 47.1% (24-of-51) from the floor, 45.5% (15-of-33) from the 3-point line, and 72.7% (8-of-11) from the free throw line.
The Indiana Hoosiers (4-0) return to action at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 20, against Lindenwood at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD® 2025-26 MEN'S TOP 50 WATCHLIST
Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
Nate Ament, Tennessee
Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Robbie Avila, Saint Louis
Solo Ball, UConn
Nate Bittle, Oregon
John Blackwell, Wisconsin
MIkel Brown Jr., Louisville
Cameron Boozer, Duke
Markus Burton, Notre Dame
Alex Condon, Florida
Ryan Conwell, Louisville
Donovan Dent, UCLA
Tucker DeVries, Indiana
AJ Dybansta, BYU
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's
Boogie Fland, Florida
Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee
PJ Haggerty, Kansas State
Thomas Haugh, Florida
Bryce Hopkins, St. John's
Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
Graham Ike, Gonzaga
Ian Jackson, St. John's
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
Alex Karaban, UConn
Xaivian Lee, Florida
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Jaland Lowe, Kentucky
Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
Otega Oweh, Kentucky
Koa Peat, Arizona
Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn
Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama
Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky
Richie Saunders, BYU
Emanuel Sharp, Houston
Jackson Shelstad, Oregon
Braden Smith, Purdue
Bennet Stirtz, Iowa
Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois
Bruce Thornton, Ohio state
JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Joseph Tugler, Houston
Milos Uzan, Houston
D.J. Wagner, Arkansas
Darrion Williams, NC State
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina
About the John R. Wooden Award®
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball, recognizing the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, the Wooden Award All-America Teams for men and women, and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching recipient.
Honorees are certified by their universities as meeting Wooden Award standards established by Coach Wooden, including progress toward graduation and at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Past winners include Larry Bird 1979, Michael Jordan 1984, Tim Duncan 1997, Kevin Durant 2007, Candace Parker 2007 and 2008, Maya Moore 2009 and 2011, Chiney Ogwumike 2014, and last year's recipients Juju Watkins of USC and Cooper Flagg of Duke.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to universities' general scholarship funds and nonprofit enterprises in the names of the Wooden Award All-American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps.
The John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long event brings together Special Olympics athletes, Wooden Award All-Americans, and attending coaches. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during John R. Wooden Award Weekend.
The mission of the John R. Wooden Award Foundation (JRWAF) is to promote teamwork, academic excellence, and character development, reflecting the enduring values of John R. Wooden. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the JRWAF serves as an angel organization, independently guiding the funding of educational, athletic, and philanthropic initiatives. A dedicated board of directors leads the Foundation's efforts, committed to advancing John R. Wooden's legacy and the timeless principles of his Pyramid of Success.
The Legends of Coaching Award will be presented alongside the Wooden Award Men's and Women's Players of the Year on Friday, April 10, 2026, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
For the latest updates, visit WoodenAward.com and follow @WoodenAward on X, Instagram, and Threads; to learn more about the Los Angeles Athletic Club, visit LAAC.com
@IndianaMBB
For all the latest on Indiana University men's basketball, be sure to follow the team at @IndianaMBB on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Selected by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list comprises 50 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball: the Wooden Award All-American Team™ and the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award® Men's Player of the Year. Players not selected for the list remain eligible for inclusion on the Wooden Award® midseason, late-season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot will feature 15 top players who have demonstrated to their universities that they meet or exceed the Wooden Award® qualifications.
DeVries, the NCAA's active leader in career points, began the season as Co-Big Ten Player of the Week after averaging 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.0 steal per game during the opening week. Through four games, DeVries is averaging 17.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest. He is shooting 47.1% (24-of-51) from the floor, 45.5% (15-of-33) from the 3-point line, and 72.7% (8-of-11) from the free throw line.
The Indiana Hoosiers (4-0) return to action at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 20, against Lindenwood at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD® 2025-26 MEN'S TOP 50 WATCHLIST
Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
Nate Ament, Tennessee
Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Robbie Avila, Saint Louis
Solo Ball, UConn
Nate Bittle, Oregon
John Blackwell, Wisconsin
MIkel Brown Jr., Louisville
Cameron Boozer, Duke
Markus Burton, Notre Dame
Alex Condon, Florida
Ryan Conwell, Louisville
Donovan Dent, UCLA
Tucker DeVries, Indiana
AJ Dybansta, BYU
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's
Boogie Fland, Florida
Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee
PJ Haggerty, Kansas State
Thomas Haugh, Florida
Bryce Hopkins, St. John's
Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
Graham Ike, Gonzaga
Ian Jackson, St. John's
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
Alex Karaban, UConn
Xaivian Lee, Florida
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Jaland Lowe, Kentucky
Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
Otega Oweh, Kentucky
Koa Peat, Arizona
Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn
Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama
Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky
Richie Saunders, BYU
Emanuel Sharp, Houston
Jackson Shelstad, Oregon
Braden Smith, Purdue
Bennet Stirtz, Iowa
Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois
Bruce Thornton, Ohio state
JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Joseph Tugler, Houston
Milos Uzan, Houston
D.J. Wagner, Arkansas
Darrion Williams, NC State
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina
About the John R. Wooden Award®
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball, recognizing the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, the Wooden Award All-America Teams for men and women, and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching recipient.
Honorees are certified by their universities as meeting Wooden Award standards established by Coach Wooden, including progress toward graduation and at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Past winners include Larry Bird 1979, Michael Jordan 1984, Tim Duncan 1997, Kevin Durant 2007, Candace Parker 2007 and 2008, Maya Moore 2009 and 2011, Chiney Ogwumike 2014, and last year's recipients Juju Watkins of USC and Cooper Flagg of Duke.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to universities' general scholarship funds and nonprofit enterprises in the names of the Wooden Award All-American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps.
The John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long event brings together Special Olympics athletes, Wooden Award All-Americans, and attending coaches. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during John R. Wooden Award Weekend.
The mission of the John R. Wooden Award Foundation (JRWAF) is to promote teamwork, academic excellence, and character development, reflecting the enduring values of John R. Wooden. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the JRWAF serves as an angel organization, independently guiding the funding of educational, athletic, and philanthropic initiatives. A dedicated board of directors leads the Foundation's efforts, committed to advancing John R. Wooden's legacy and the timeless principles of his Pyramid of Success.
The Legends of Coaching Award will be presented alongside the Wooden Award Men's and Women's Players of the Year on Friday, April 10, 2026, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
For the latest updates, visit WoodenAward.com and follow @WoodenAward on X, Instagram, and Threads; to learn more about the Los Angeles Athletic Club, visit LAAC.com
@IndianaMBB
For all the latest on Indiana University men's basketball, be sure to follow the team at @IndianaMBB on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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