After a telling few weeks of college hoops, the latest edition of Ballislife’s National Player of the Year Ladder (and the first on this side of 2026) welcomes plenty of change. A preseason favorite and an unheralded freshman phenom debut on the Ladder this week in place of a pair of week-in, week-out mainstays who have been overshadowed recently after torrid starts.

1. Cameron Boozer, Duke, Fr. (Age: 18)

Last week: No. 1

Boozer’s still got a somewhat comfortable grip on the top spot despite a convincing charge from BYU’s AJ Dybantsa the last month or so, which is no small feat considering how good the latter has been playing. Still, Boozer is fully in the throes of one of the best one-and-done freshman seasons in recent history. That continued on Wednesday as the star freshman tallied 21 points and 13 rebounds in a decisive victory over Cal.

He ranks in the top five nationally in scoring and in the top 25 in rebounds and he’s recorded at least 20 points and eight rebounds in three of Duke’s last five games since their lone setback against Texas Tech on Dec. 20.

Cameron Boozer vs Cal..

21 PTS (9-16 FG, 3-5 FTs)
13 REBS
3 AST

What are the chances Duke wins the Championship this season?? pic.twitter.com/sXaN5mdeyZ

— Frankie Vision (@Frankie_Vision) January 15, 2026

2. AJ Dybantsa, BYU, Fr. (Age: 18)

Last week: No. 2

Dybantsa recorded his 10th straight 20+ point outing in BYU’s 76-70 win over TCU on Wednesday, but what must surely be a frustrating reality for the potential No. 1 overall pick is the fact the gap between Boozer and himself isn’t really any closer than it was two weeks ago.

Still, Dybantsa and the Cougs are now 16-1 on the year and will surely be in next week’s AP Top 10, in large part because of the consistent efficiency the freshman puts forth each night. Wednesday’s 8-of-22 effort from the field was the first time since Nov. 27 that Dybantsa was held below 50% from the field in a game, but he still finished as BYU’s leading scorer.

FRESHMAN AJ DYBANTSA LOOKING LIKE A PRO AGAINST TCU

25 PTS, 33 MIN pic.twitter.com/mpmFlB4tuS

— ESPN (@espn) January 15, 2026

3. Braden Smith, Purdue, Sr. (Age: 22)

Last week: NR

Well, well, well. If you told me before the season that it would have taken until the middle of January to feel comfortable putting preseason favorite Braden Smith on the Ladder, I definitely would have been surprised. However, after Smith led Purdue to victory with an eye-popping in a back-and-forth barnburner against Bennett Stirtz and Iowa on Wednesday, it’s clear he deserves a podium spot for his 2025-26 debut.

Absurd second half offensively for Purdue to come back from a nine-point second-half deficit and beat Iowa:
– 72.7% from the field in the second half
– One — ONE! — missed shot in the final 10:30
– Braden Smith: 16 PTS, 4 AST after halftime
– 14-16 FTspic.twitter.com/RydUeamE4Y

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) January 15, 2026

The senior tallied all 16 of his points after halftime, finishing 6-of-9 from the field while dishing out eight assists in the come-from-behind win. And that was an encore performance after an even more impressive 26-point, 14-assist masterclass against Penn State on Saturday. Since suffering an uncharacteristic 24-point loss to Iowa State at home on Dec. 6, Smith and the Boilermakers have won their last eight games by an average of 17 points.

4. J.T. Toppin, Texas Tech, Jr. (Age: 20)

Last week: No. 3

After the performance Toppin put together against Utah on Wednesday, it almost feels like a disservice to move him out of the No. 3 spot he last occupied. Toppin scored 31 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished out seven assists in the No. 15 Red Raiders’ 88-74 win. According to @CBBAnalytics on X, Toppin’s performance marks the first time a Division I player has recorded such a statline in a single game this season.

JT Toppin was unstoppable against Utah:

31 PTS
13 REB
7 AST (career high)
5 BLK (tied season high)

The ONLY Division I player to hit all of these marks in the same game this season. pic.twitter.com/O38qZVyrYU

— CBB Analytics (@CBBAnalytics) January 15, 2026

Wednesday also marked Toppin’s sixth consecutive double-double and his ninth in his last 11 outings, punctuated by the fact that the 6’9 junior has averaged 12.5 rebounds in his last five games to push his per-game average into the top five nationally. Tech’s 82-81 win over Boozer and Duke last month proved they’ll be a threat to make a deep run again in March, and Toppin’s recent tear has proven that he’s still among the country’s best players despite a historically deep freshman class stealing all the headlines.

5. Ebuka Okorie, Stanford, Fr. (Age: 18)

Last week: NR

You may be wondering what happened to Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson on this week’s Ladder. You’re certainly wondering where Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg could have gone after the Wolverines took care of business at Washington on Wednesday. Well, blame Stanford’s freshman phenom Ebuka Okorie. The 6’2 guard from Nashua, New Hampshire tallied 36 points in the Cardinal’s stunning 95-90 win over No. 12 North Carolina on Wednesday, propelling the program to its biggest win since joining the ACC in 2024.

Ebuka Okorie TOOK OVER vs No. 14 UNC:

36 PTS
9 ASTS
12-20 FG

@StanfordMBB pic.twitter.com/Br6WZye1PF

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) January 15, 2026

Don’t get caught up on just Wednesday, though. Okorie ranks in the top 10 nationally in scoring and has reached the 30-point mark in four of his last seven outings, all four being wins, including a 69-68 decision over Virginia Tech in which Okorie made the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining. Not to mention, Okorie also scored 28 points in an 80-76 win over No. 16 Louisville during that stretch as well. And if you’re a fan of advanced stats, you’ll be a fan of Okorie’s. The freshman is tied with Houston’s Kingston Flemings for the most KenPom Game MVPs in the country this season.