College basketball season approaches as practices begin and focus shifts to 2026 recruits making campus visits over the coming weeks. School routines return and football dominates early attention, but college basketball is imminent. Top 25 rankings from July and August remain unchanged. A September theme spotlights one candidate from each Top 25 team who could enter awards and individual-honors conversations by season's end. Examples include Braden Smith, the returning Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus first-team All-American who averaged nearly 16 points and 8.7 assists, and Thomas Haugh, a 6-foot-9 Gator with perimeter shooting and playmaking who projects to break out.
As a result, the top 25 from the July and August editions remains the same. And much like July's impact newcomer debate or August's best nonconference game picks, we're picking a theme for September. This time, we're focusing on one candidate from each Top 25 team -- whether a returning star, incoming freshman or coach -- who could be in the awards and individual honors conversation by the end of the season.
Braden Smith: Among the players returning to men's college basketball, Smith is arguably the best bet for the Wooden Award. He's coming off a season in which he was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American. He was second nationally with 8.7 assists per game and averaged nearly 16 points. Matt Painter has improved the options around him this season, which should help his case.
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