Ohio State’s Thornton headlines Oscar Robertson Trophy National Players of the Week

Ohio State’s Thornton headlines Oscar Robertson Trophy National Players of the Week

INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) — The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has named five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Sunday, Nov. 9.

For the 2025-26 season, the USBWA continues its national player of the week program that has been affiliated with the Oscar Robertson Trophy since the 2009-10 season. Prior to last season, the USBWA had recognized just one player each week.

Each Tuesday during the regular season, designated USBWA board members will select five standouts from the 31 Division I conference players of the week to be recognized. This week’s selections were chosen from a list of the conferences that named a player of the week on Monday.

Following are the five players selected for performances this past week:

TJ Long, Vermont (America East)
Long averaged 25.3 points across a 3-0 week for the Catamounts, including a 40-point, 13-rebound double-double in a win at Brown. The graduate guard from Rockville Centre, N.Y., earned his first career America East Player of the Week honor and led Vermont in scoring in all three victories.

Koa Peat, Arizona (Big 12)
Peat made history with a 30-point, 5-assist debut against No. 3 Florida — the first such opening game by a freshman in Big 12 history. The Chandler, Ariz., native added seven rebounds, three steals and a block in the Wildcats’ 93–87 win, snapping Florida’s 12-game win streak. He followed with 18 points, three rebounds and three assists in a blowout win over Utah Tech.

Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama (SEC)
Philon averaged 23.5 points, 5.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 63.3 percent from the field. The sophomore guard from Mobile, Ala., scored a career-high 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting in a road win over No. 5 St. John’s and added 21 points and six assists against North Dakota. Philon’s play helped the Crimson Tide to a 2-0 start.

Bruce Thornton, Ohio State (Big Ten)
Thornton averaged 32.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 77.8 percent from the field and 58.3 percent from three-point range. He scored a career-high 38 points on 14-of-17 shooting in a win over Purdue Fort Wayne — the most points by a Buckeye since Jared Sullinger’s 40 in 2010 — and added 26 points in a season-opening win over IU Indianapolis.

Caleb Wilson, North Carolina (ACC)
In his first two collegiate games, Wilson averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 81.0 percent from the field. The freshman from Atlanta scored 22 points in his debut against Central Arkansas — the fourth-most ever by a Tar Heel freshman in a first game — and followed with 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals in a win over No. 19 Kansas. He became the first UNC freshman to score 20+ points in both of his first two games.

Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation’s oldest award and the only one named after a former player.

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.

2025-26 USBWA Men’s Weekly Honors
• Week ending Nov. 9: TJ Long, Vermont; Koa Peat, Arizona; Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama; Bruce Thornton, Ohio State; Caleb Wilson, North Carolina.