NCAA Basketball: Player of the Year power rankings (Edition Five)
Dec 21, 2016; Greensboro, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) stands on the court in the first half against the Elon Phoenix at Greensboro Coliseum. Duke defeated Elon 72-61. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Is Josh Hart still leading the NCAA basketball Player of the Year power rankings?
Conference play just began on Tuesday, so it may be a bit too early to project or predict who the best player in the nation will be at the end of the season.
However, it’s never too early to start looking at who the front runners are for the Player of the Year award.
So how do you build a Player of the Year candidacy? You must have strong overall numbers, your team must be successful and of course, you must have clutch season-defining moments.
Obviously, players’ numbers aren’t final, teams are going to have their fair share of inconsistencies and there are still months remaining for clutch plays and surprising performances. But for now, we will use the information we have been provided with, and the games that we have watched, to look at the early favorites.
Every week until the end of the season, Busting Brackets will list the top five candidates (in order) for Player of the Year.
In our fourth edition, Josh Hart remained on the top of the rankings. This week, there’s a little bit of a noticeable mix up.
Dec 21, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Quentin Snider (4) looks to pass against Kentucky Wildcats guard De’Aaron Fox (0) during the first half at KFC Yum! Center. Louisville defeated Kentucky 73-70. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
5. De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky
After Malik Monk’s off game against the Louisville Cardinals, his teammate, De’Aaron Fox, will enter edition five of our power rankings. Fox was sensational for the second straight game against a top 10 opponent (21 points on 7-of-15 shooting against Louisville) and was one of the main reasons Kentucky had a chance to win down the stretch.
The Wildcats haven’t played since their loss at Louisville (they open up conference play tonight at Ole Miss), but Fox is averaging 16.3 points, 6.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game. He is the best NBA prospect on Kentucky’s roster and is the team’s best all-around player.
Monk can score the lid off the ball, but Fox impacts the game with his speed and quickness in transition, his leadership in the half court, his elite on-ball defense and his passing and vision.
If Fox can clean up his perimeter shot before March, he has the chance to pass more than just our number four player in these power rankings.
Dec 28, 2016; Eugene, OR, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Bryce Alford (20) and UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) watch as Oregon Ducks forward Dillon Brooks (24) dribbles the ball in the first half at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
4. Lonzo Ball, UCLA
While Lonzo Ball is still averaging an absurd 13.7 points, 8.1 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game, Ball’s last three outings have been arguably his three worst performances of the season.
He didn’t score in double figures in wins over Ohio State and Western Michigan, and struggled for the majority of the game against the Oregon Ducks.
In addition to Ball’s mini downward trend, the Bruins lost their first game of the season on Wednesday night against the Ducks.
Regardless, it would be asinine to move Ball out of the power rankings. The point guard has helped change the atmosphere and expectations in Westwood, and his play is the main reason why the Bruins even entered conference play with an undefeated record and a number two next to their name.
In the Ohio State and Western Michigan games, Ball still had an impact with his vision and passing ability. And against the Ducks, his three second half 3’s helped the Bruins regain an advantage on the scoreboard.
Also, we cannot overreact to one loss. Oregon is a good basketball team that has Final Four potential if they improve their role allocation and remain healthy for the rest of the season. This was road game to open up league play and the crowd was absolutely rocking.
It was unlikely for Ball to continue at the pace he’s played at (remember he’s still just a freshman), but he is still one of the best players in all of college basketball.
Dec 19, 2016; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) shoots a three point shot over Tennessee State Tigers guard A’Torey Everett (23) in the first half of their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
3. Luke Kennard, Duke
While everyone is focusing on Grayson Allen and his tripping, we continue to overlook the play of Duke’s leading scorer and best current player, Luke Kennard.
The Blue Devils weren’t all that impressive in wins over Tennessee State and Elon, and Kennard had interesting comments regarding the team’s chemistry, but the sophomore is still playing out of his mind.
Kennard is averaging 20.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, while shooting 52 percent from the field, 43 percent from long range and 88 percent from the free throw line.
Despite trailing for portions of the first half against Tennessee State, Kennard responded in the second, scoring 13 of his 24 points to help lead Duke to a victory. Two days later against Elon, Kennard dropped 21 points on 7-of-17 shooting (2-of-4 from three) and grabbed seven boards.
Duke has yet to play a conference game yet – they open up against Virginia Tech on the road on Saturday – but to this point Kennard deserves recognition.
Dec 22, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Frank Mason (0) drives the lane as UNLV Runnin’ Rebels forward forward Tyrell Green (3) and guard Uche Ofoegbu (2) defend during a game at Thomas & Mack Center. Kansas won the game 71-53. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
2. Frank Mason III, Kansas
Frank Mason III has been so consistently good that his play is flying under the radar.
The senior point guard is averaging 19.7 points, 5.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds (for a 5’11” guard!).
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While that is one of the better stat lines in the nation, what’s most impressive is Mason’s efficiency. He is shooting 56 percent from the field, 50 percent from beyond the arc and is shooting 71 percent from the free throw line. He’s also only averaging 2.3 turnovers per game despite having the ball in his hands for the majority of the game.
Mason is one of the toughest guards in the nation, so his impact on the defensive end is also second to none.
Another reason that Mason’s play is likely flying under the radar is because Kansas hasn’t exactly played anyone of notable stature since their first two games against Indiana and Duke. The Jayhawks have won 11 straight games and have cruised past teams like Davidson, UNLV, Nebraska and Stanford.
That’s not to discredit Mason’s play (believe me, I wouldn’t have him at number two if I was), but it is to say that he must keep up his level of production in conference play to remain in the rankings. The Jayhawks open up league play on Friday night against TCU.
Dec 28, 2016; Villanova, PA, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Josh Hart (3) and guard Jalen Brunson (1) acknowledge the student body section after win against the DePaul Blue Demons at The Pavilion. Villanova defeated DePaul, 68-65. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
1. Josh Hart, Villanova
Things aren’t changing at the top this week because Josh Hart is doing Josh Hart like things…again.
Remember when Hart willed the Wildcats to a victory in an undefeated showdown against Notre Dame at the Prudential Center?
Yeah, he did that again in a second half beatdown of Temple and in a too close-for-comfort victory over DePaul on Wednesday evening.
"BIG TIME delivery" | @JoshHart_3 #BIGEASThoops #Onions pic.twitter.com/WGFeyGbJRG
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) December 29, 2016
Hart has scored 71 points in his last three games, including three clutch threes against the Owls, 20 points and seven boards against American and 10 points in the final three minutes in a win over the Blue Demons.
The senior is now averaging 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals and just 1.2 turnovers per game. He is shooting 56 percent from the field and 41 percent from deep.
Hart is the clear front runner right now, but it’s surely not locked up. There is still plenty of time remaining in the season, and Villanova has a critical top 10 showdown at Creighton on Saturday. That looms as another critical test for Hart.
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