Oscar Tshiebwe moves into top spot in Katz's POY Tiers
By Andy Katz
FOX Sports College Basketball Analyst
The national player of the year race isn’t as wide open in late January as it was earlier in the season.
But I’m still convinced that multiple players could win one of the many awards available, including the Naismith, Wooden, Robertson, Rupp, AP, NABC and Sporting News.
New favorite for player of the year? | CBB on FOX
Let's get to the tiers, with a new leader in the clubhouse:
Tier 1: The favorites
Oscar Tshiebwe, 6-foot-9, junior, Kentucky: Tshiebwe has moved into the No. 1 spot in our player of the year tiers, with his ridiculous rebounding numbers. He’s averaging a double-double of 16-15, and he has recorded 20 or more rebounds in five games this season.
Ochai Agbaji, 6-foot-5, senior, Kansas: Agbaji had his player of the year moments this past week. He scored 37 in a double-overtime win against Texas Tech and then put up 29 in a road win at Kansas State. He has become one of the best go-to, late-game players in the game.
Johnny Davis, 6-foot-5, sophomore, Wisconsin: Davis is the front-runner for Big Ten Player of the Year. He has had multiple player of the year moments, including scoring 30 in a win over Houston, 37 in a win at Purdue and 27 at Northwestern just last week.
Drew Timme, 6-foot-10, junior, Gonzaga: Timme started the season with 37 against Texas. He has picked it back up, with 30 against BYU and 32 at Santa Clara. Timme is once again a difficult matchup and a top candidate for player of the year.
Johnny Davis drops 27 points in Wisconsin's win over Northwestern
Tier 2: Making a push
Jabari Smith, 6-foot-10, freshman, Auburn: Smith delivered with 25 points in a rivalry road win at Alabama. He has been remarkably consistent. He's also the best talent in the country right now and a potential No. 1 draft pick.
Kofi Cockburn, junior, 7-foot, Illinois: Cockburn is the most intimidating player in the country. He just needs to stay on the floor. He’s averaging 21 and 11 but fouled out of his team's double-overtime loss at Purdue and has been out the past two games due to concussion protocols.
Keegan Murray, 6-foot-8, sophomore, Iowa: Murray is averaging 22.8 points per game. He has had four double-double games in the Big Ten. His candidacy could be hurt by the Hawkeyes' not being likely Big Ten title contenders.
EJ Liddell, 6-foot-7, junior, Ohio State: Liddell has been very efficient so far. He’s averaging 19.4 points and 7.3 boards per game. He has had a few player of the year games, with 34 against Northwestern and 28 in a win over Wisconsin.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, 6-foot-9, sophomore, Indiana: TJD is averaging 18.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He scored 43 against Marshall early in the season, 31 in a double-OT loss at Syracuse and, maybe most importantly, 27 in a win over Ohio State.
Jaden Ivey, 6-foot-4, sophomore, Purdue: Ivey doesn’t put up monster numbers. But he has tremendous timing to change the narrative of a game. He has had big games in major moments, including 22 against North Carolina and 22 in an overtime win against NC State.
Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis throws down a one-handed dunk with authority
Tier 3: Don't sleep on them
Trevion Williams, 6-foot-10, senior, Purdue: Williams is the best passing big man in the country. He’s also a tremendous back-to-the-basket scorer. Williams has started and come off the bench. He’s an efficient, effective scorer and rebounder.
Johnny Juzang, 6-foot-7, senior, UCLA: Juzang was a preseason player of the year candidate. The Bruins' long pause took him out of the mix for a while, but now he’s back. He’s averaging 18 points per game, but in the past few games, he scored 28 at Utah, 23 at Colorado and 15 in a win over Arizona.
Paolo Banchero, 6-foot-10, freshman, Duke: Banchero is one of the best talents in the country. He’s a top-three pick. He’s also one of the reasons the Blue Devils could win the title. He had his best ACC game yet with 24 in a win at Wake Forest, and his numbers are likely to climb.
Bennedict Mathurin, 6-foot-6, sophomore, Arizona: Mathurin is averaging 17.4 PPG and has been one of the most pleasant surprises this season. His player of the year game came when he scored 30 in the win at Illinois.
Wendell Moore Jr., 6-foot-5, junior, Duke: Moore is one of the most improved players in not just the ACC but also the country. He is averaging 15.1 points, 5.6 boards and 4.6 assists and shooting 54.5% from the field.
Alondes Williams, 6-foot-5, senior, Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons weren’t supposed to be a tournament team, but they will be, and Williams is the reason. He has been sensational. He’s averaging 20 PPG, scored 23 against North Carolina and had multiple 30-plus games in the nonconference portion of the season.
Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst and host. He can be seen on FOX Sports and Big Ten Network platforms, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast "March Madness 365." Katz worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and, prior to that, in newspapers for nine years.
