KANSAS CITY, Mo. – BYU junior Robert Wright III was named to the NABC Division I Player of the Year Preseason Watch List, the National Association of Basketball Coaches announced on Thursday morning.
The 2027 NABC Division I Player of the Year – to be selected by a nationwide vote of Division I head coaches at the conclusion of the regular season – will be announced the week of the 2027 Men’s Final Four.
| 2027 NABC Division I Player of the Year - Preseason Watch List | |
| Name | School |
| Flory Bidunga | Louisville |
| John Blackwell | Duke |
| Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje | Duke |
| Elliot Cadeau | Michigan |
| Rueben Chinyelu | Florida |
| Alex Condon | Florida |
| Thijs De Ridder | Virginia |
| Silas Demary Jr. | UConn |
| Jeremy Fears Jr. | Michigan State |
| Juke Harris | Tennessee |
| Thomas Haugh | Florida |
| Motiejus Krivas | Arizona |
| David Mirkovic | Illinois |
| Milan Momcilovic | Kentucky |
| Braylon Mullins | UConn |
| Pryce Sandfort | Nebraska |
| Tyran Stokes | Kansas |
| Tyler Tanner | Vanderbilt |
| JT Toppin | Texas Tech |
| Robert Wright III | BYU |
Wright III, a 6-foot-1 guard from Wilmington, Del., enters his second season in Provo after averaging a career-best 18.1 points per game in 2025-26, where he shot 46.7 percent from the field, 41.0 percent from three and 82.1 percent from the free throw line.
He is one of 16 players in program history with multiple double-digit assist games in a single season, highlighted by his 10 points and 11 helpers in BYU’s 98-70 victory over No. 23 Wisconsin. The 28-point victory is the third-largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent in program history. He finished the season with 162 assists, which are the 10th most in a single season in program history
The All-Big 12 Third Team selection averaged 20.4, 3.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in league play. He scored in double figures 16 times, including 10 20-plus performances and a career-high 39 points in BYU’s overtime victory over Colorado on Valentine’s Day.
The Cougars open the 2026-27 campaign on Monday, Nov. 2, against Ohio State at the Delta Center. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT on FS1 with Aaron Goldsmith and Jim Jackson on the call.