College Basketball: National Player of the Year Week 15 Power Ranking

The college basketball National Player of the Year power ranking is fluid. While Zach Edey has remained at the top of each ranking throughout the season, the two through ten positions have consistently shifted with each week.

For the last three updates, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht has found himself as a mainstay at the No. 2 spot. After healing from his ankle injury he suffered at the end of his 37-point performance against North Carolina, he has been on a tear.

At this point in the season, we are just over halfway through conference play. Narrowing down a top ten at this point in the season presented somewhat of a difficult task. As we have maintained throughout this power ranking is a fluid one. Ultimately Alabama’s Mark Sears earned the No. 10 slot for this update. Players like Kyle Filipowski (Duke), Johnell Davis (FAU), and Norchad Omier (Miami) were on the outside of the conversation, looking in.

This is an ongoing piece put together by On3’s Jamie Shaw, who is on the Naismith Trophy’s Board of Selectors. Now that we are heading down the homestretch of the regular season, let’s discuss the men’s college basketball National Player of the year Week 15 Power Ranking.

1. C Zach Edey, Purdue

The Buzz: Zach Edey started the year at the top of this list and has done nothing through Purdue’s 21-2 season to question this positioning. The 7-foot-4 true senior is top three in Division 1 basketball in scoring (23.3) and rebounding (11.7) and he is third in the Big Ten with 2.3 blocks. Edey has continued his upward swing this season as his numbers have risen through 13 Big Ten games averaging 24.4 points, 13.5 points, and 2.3 blocks per contest. Purdue started last week as No. 2 in the A.P. Poll.

2. F Dalton Knecht, Tennessee

The Buzz: Dalton Knecht has taken the SEC by storm this season. If you take out the seven-game span where Knecht played while fighting through an ankle injury, the Tennessee wing would be averaging 24.9 points per game. That would be second in Division 1 basketball. As it stands, Knecht’s 20.3 points is second in the SEC. Through 10 SEC games, they are averaging 26.4 points on 44.1 percent shooting from three. Tennessee is currently 7-3 in SEC play and started last week at No. 6 in the A.P. Poll.

3. G RJ Davis, UNC

The Buzz: RJ Davis has had about as steady of a go-to player as there has been in college basketball. He is ninth in college basketball in scoring this season at 21.3 per game. Davis has scored in double figures for each of his ACC games including seven games with 20 or more points. In ACC play, Davis is shooting 43.0 percent from three with a  2.35 assist to turnover in ACC play. UNC started last week as No. 3 in the A.P. Poll. 

4. F Kevin McCullar, Kansas

The Buzz: Kevin McCullar has done a little bit of everything, at a high level, for Kansas this season. Despite missing the Jayhawks’ last two games, the 6-foot-7 super senior is the front-runner for Big 12 Player of the Year. McCullar’s 19.5 points lead the conference and his 6.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists have him in the top ten. Kansas is still figuring things out as a team, but they started last week at No. 4 in the A.P. Poll. McCullar is shooting a career-high 36.1 percent from three and 80.4 percent on 6.3 attempts from the free-throw line this season.

5. F David Jones, Memphis

The Buzz: David Jones has been on a scoring tear, all season scoring in double figures in all 23 games and going for 20 or more in 14 games. Jones is the No. 6 leading scorer in Division 1 at 21.9 per game. He is shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from three. Jones’s 7.4 rebounds in tenth in the conference and his 2.2 steals sit third. Memphis received five A.P. Poll votes to start last week as the Tigers are 17-6 overall and 6-4 in conference play.

6. G Tyler Kolek, Marquette

The Buzz: Tyler Kolek is the reigning Big East Player of the Year. Through 23 games, Kolek leads the league in assists (7.5) and his 1.7 steals is third. Kolek’s numbers have only improved through 12 Big East games, averaging 16.2 points, 8.9 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 steals. Marquette is currently second in the Big East at 9-3 in conference play. They started last week No. 7 in the A.P. Poll and are currently on a seven-game win streak.

7. G Devin Carter, Providence

The Buzz: Devin Carter started the season off well, however, his production took off once Bryce Hopkins was injured for the rest of the season. Carter’s 19.0 points currently leads the Big East in scoring, and his 7.9 rebounds is fourth in the conference. Losing Hopkins, a pre-season All-Big East first-team prediction was a tough blow for the Friars. However, the group has won four of their last seven games and is just below .500 in conference play. Carter is averaging 21.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.9 steals in conference play.

8. F DaRon Holmes, Dayton

The Buzz: DaRon Holmes has quietly had one of the better seasons in all of college basketball. His 19.4 points lead the Atlantic 10 Conference, while his 7.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks are third. Dayton started last week at No. 18 in the A.P. Poll, before going 1-1 on the week. The Flyers are now 9-2 in league play and 19-4 overall. Holes is averaging 21.3 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 54.2 percent from the field during conference play.

9. C Hunter Dickinson, Kansas

The Buzz: Statistically, Hunter Dickinson has consistently produced all season. He is ninth in Division 1 with 13 double-doubles in 24 games played. The 7-foot-1 center is averaging 18.7 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. He has had four games of 15 or more rebounds this season, including two 20-rebound games. His 11.0 rebounds a game are seventh nationally. Despite dropping four of their last ten, Kansas started the week No. 4 in the A.P. Poll.

10. G Mark Sears, Alabama

The Buzz: Mark Sears has been great all season, but he has taken his game to another level during SEC play. The 6-foot-1 guard leads the SEC in scoring at 20.5 points, and he has maintained those numbers while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three. The Crimson Tide are currently tied for first in the SEC at 9-2. In his 11 SEC games, Sears’ production has risen to 21.7 points. 4.1 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while maintaining his efficiency, shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three.