NCAA Basketball: Player of the Year power rankings (Edition Six)
Jan 3, 2017; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Frank Mason III (0) shoots a three point basket as Kansas State Wildcats guard Barry Brown (5) defends during the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
In edition six of the Player of the Year power rankings, has anyone leaped Josh Hart?
We are a week into conference play, so things are starting to round into form regarding the Player of the Year conversation. The favorites have been set, but that doesn’t mean that players on the outside looking in cannot build up a case over the next couple of months.
Remember the regular season doesn’t end until early March, which creates plenty of opportunities.
But the time is now to start to increase production.
So how do you continue to 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 project the 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 fifth edition, Josh Hart remained on top of the rankings. This week, there’s only a slight mix up.
Jan 4, 2017; Waco, TX, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Deonte Burton (30) dribbles against Baylor Bears forward Johnathan Motley (5) during the first half at Ferrell Center. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
5. Johnathan Motley, Baylor
Does anyone truly think the Baylor Bears are the best team in the country and that Johnathan Motley is the best player in the country?
Probably not, but that doesn’t mean Motley shouldn’t be in consideration for the Player of the Year award.
Baylor is currently the number one team in the AP Poll and they’re one of two undefeated teams in college hoops. They also own a superb resume with wins over Oregon, VCU, Michigan State, Louisville, Xavier, Oklahoma and Iowa State.
And Motley isn’t just a key piece to Baylor’s roster, he’s the best player on the team.
The junior is averaging 16.0 points (1st on the team), 9.3 rebounds (1st on the team), 2.1 assists (4th on the team) and is shooting 52 percent from the field (4th on the team).
Most importantly, Motley has been consistently good. He’s only scored in double figures twice so far this season, and both of those games came in blowout victories over Jackson State and Sam Houston State when Motley played less than 30 minutes. And in those two games, he still recorded a combined 23 rebounds.
Motley doesn’t get the love of some of the other players on this list, mainly because the Bears are a balanced roster that isn’t a typical blue blood like the Kentuckys and Dukes of the world. However, Motley’s three game outing in the Bahamas will be stuck in my head for the rest of the season.
Dec 30, 2016; Corvallis, OR, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) drives to the basket against Oregon State Beavers guard Daine Muller (22) in the second half at Gill Coliseum. The Bruins won 76-63. Mandatory Credit: Scobel Wiggins-USA TODAY Sports
4. Lonzo Ball, UCLA
Unless Lonzo Ball’s play completely drops off a cliff, the freshman point guard is going to remain on this list for the rest of the season.
Ball has changed the culture of the UCLA program and has been essential to their success as the number four team in the country. The Bruins were undefeated until last week (they lost at Oregon) and Steve Alford has gone from a man on the hot seat to a coach that might actually be in the mix for National Coach of the Year.
And it’s mainly because of Ball.
Yes, he’s struggled in three of his last four games, but he’s still putting up ridiculous numbers and had a sweet bounce back performance against a bad Oregon State team (23 points, seven assists, six rebounds).
On the season, Ball is putting up 14.3 points, 8.1 assists, 5.7 rebounds 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. He’s also shooting 53 percent from the field and 43 percent from beyond the arc.
It truly amazes me every time I write that stat line.
That’s who Ball is though. He can score, pass, defend and most importantly, make his teammates better.
Jan 4, 2017; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski welcomes guard Luke Kennard (5) off the court before the start of their game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
3. Luke Kennard, Duke
Where would Duke be without Luke Kennard?
It’s a legitimate question because the shooting guard has not only been the team’s most consistent player, but in the three games that Duke looked shaky over the last few weeks (Tennessee State, Elon and Virginia Tech), Kennard was the guy that carried them to two wins and looked impressive.
Duke trailed in the first half against Tennessee State, but Kennard’s sharp shooting in the second half led them to a blowout victory. Against Elon, Grayson Allen’s tripping was the main story, however, Kennard scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the win. And against the Hokies, it seemed like everyone else on the roster wasn’t interested in playing. Meanwhile, Kennard dropped 34 points and pulled down seven boards.
On the season, Kennard is averaging 21.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He’s gotten significantly better than he was in his freshman campaign and is one of Duke’s main go-to guys when the shot clock is winding down.
Kennard “only” scored 16 points in a thrashing of Georgia Tech, and his scoring outputs may decrease just a little as Duke continues to get their chemistry down pat. However, he has been the catalyst for the team through the first two months of the season.
For all the injuries they’ve had and the negative storylines (*cough* Allen *cough*), the Blue Devils have only lost two games. That’s remarkable and it’s mainly because of Kennard.
Dec 30, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Frank Mason III (0) dribbles during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
2. Frank Mason III, Kansas
I was tempted to move Frank Mason III up to number one in the latest power rankings, but opted to wait at least another week.
Mason’s play has surprisingly gone under the radar. Maybe it’s because he’s so consistent, or maybe it’s because Kansas hasn’t played a monumental game since they knocked off Duke at Madison Square Garden.
Either way, Mason is putting up 19.5 points, 5.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds, while shooting a highly efficient 53 percent from the field overall and 51 percent from beyond the arc.
One of the reasons that Mason is still at number two is that his turnovers have gone up this season and the Jayhawks’ defense has been poor. That was especially the case against Kansas State, as KU gave up 88 points.
And that’s not a positive reflection on Mason, because he is one of the main anchors of the defense. Mason, Devonte’ Graham and Josh Jackson are supposed to be one of the best defensive perimeter trios in the country.
That doesn’t mean Mason has been bad on that end of the floor, it just means that he hasn’t been as good as he was in 2015-16.
The main issue with Kansas’ defense is their lack of rim protection, but that doesn’t mean Mason and the rest of the guards are in the clear. If the senior improves defensively and continues his excellent offensive production, Mason could win this award.
Dec 31, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Josh Hart (3) drives against the Creighton Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
1. Josh Hart, Villanova
Josh Hart played one of his worst games of the season on Wednesday night in the Villanova Wildcats’ loss to Butler. However, Hart still scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and is averaging 19.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on the season.
He has improved his three point shooting (39 percent this year compared to 36 percent last year), is better in ball screens and has improved as a leader. Also, Hart is shooting a career high 55 percent from the field overall.
The 6’6″ senior forward had an uncharacteristic turnover down the stretch of the game against Butler, but that has been the exception, not the rule so far this season.
Hart has taken over games in the second half. He dominated Temple in the second frame to help the Wildcats blow through the Owls. He scored 37 points and willed the Wildcats to a victory at the Prudential Center over then-undefeated Notre Dame. He carried Jay Wright’s squad in a close game against DePaul at The Pavilion. And he also shined against Creighton in a hostile environment at the CenturyLink Center.
Frank Mason III is right on Hart’s tale (it seems like the top two have separated themselves) though, so it is critical for the senior to continue to play well. With a game against Xavier coming up next week, Hart has another chance to have a big game on a big stage.
More from Busting Brackets
This article originally appeared on 
