College Basketball National Player of the Year: Week 3 Power Ranking

The National Player of the Year race will be fluid throughout the college basketball season. At this point, we have seen Feast Week and most teams have played between five and seven games. While there is a lot of season left to be played, storylines are starting to take shape.

We plan for this to be an ongoing piece, updated every other Monday by Jamie Shaw who is on the Naismith Men’s College Basketball Board of Selectors. As we get deeper into the season, and more games are played this board should become a little more clear.

Now that Feast Week has come and gone, let’s discuss the men’s college basketball National Player of the Year, Week 3 Power Rankings.

1. C Zach Edey, Purdue

The Buzz: Purdue is now 6-0 after making a run through a Maui Invitational that included wins over No. 11 Gonzaga, No. 7 Tennessee, and No. 4 Marquette. Zach Edey led the way averaging 25.3 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks while shooting 57.7 percent from the field in his three games. Edey is the reigning National Player of the Year, and he is playing at a level that is arguably higher. Edey is currently the best player on the best team in the country.

2. C Hunter Dickinson, Kansas

The Buzz: Hunter Dickinson made headlines when he entered the transfer portal this summer. The coveted center, and three-time All-Big Ten award winner, announced he would attend Kansas. Dickinson has hit the ground running averaging 21.2 points and 12.7 rebounds per contest. As the Jayhawks sit at 5-1, the 7-foot-1 post player has scored more than 20 points three times and grabbed more than 20 rebounds twice this season, including a 27-point and 21-rebound game against Kentucky at the Champions Classic. 

3. G Tyler Kolek, Marquette

The Buzz: Tyler Kolek came into the season as the reigning Big East Player of the Year. The 6-foot-3 point guard last led Marquette to a 5-1 start, including a narrow 78-75 loss to top-ranked Purdue in the finals of the Maui Invitational. While Kolek’s counting stats might not pop off the page, when watching him play, he has complete control of the game. He plays with an excellent pace, he is always in the right spot on defense, and his passes get teammates open. He has shown this season that he is a lead guard who can go for 20 if his team needs it or he can dish out ten assists if his team needs it. 

4. C Kyle Filipwoski, Duke

The Buzz: While the other three players in the top four played in major Thanksgiving events, Kyle Filipowski’s game schedule was more low-key. That does not mean the Duke sophomore has not been putting up numbers, in 27.0 minutes per contest over his last two, Southern Indiana and LaSalle, Filipowski averaged 19.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks. Duke is now 5-1 on the season and still ranked in the top ten. Filipowski is leading the way in points (18.8), rebounds (8.0), blocks (1.7), and steals (1.2) while shooting 56.0 percent from the field. 

5. G Wade Taylor, Texas A&M

The Buzz: Wade Taylor came into the season as the SEC’s leading returning scorer. Through seven games this season, the Texas A&M guard is the current SEC leading scorer. Texas A&M currently sits at 6-1, and Taylor, who is originally from Dallas, is averaging 20.0 points and 4.4 assists per contest. He has gone over 20 points three times so far this season, including a 35-point, 5-assist outburst on Friday against top-20-ranked Florida Atlantic. Taylor is also adding 2.4 steals per game on the defensive side of the ball.

6. F Dalton Knecht, Tennessee

The Buzz: Dalton Knecht, a graduate transfer from Northern Colorado, has started the season averaging 17.5 points while shooting 37.9 percent from three. Even with Tennessee dropping two games in Maui to top ten teams, the 6-foot-6 wing maintained his scoring touch. Knecht has led the Volunteers in scoring in five of their six games, including a season-high 24 points on the road at Wisconsin. Tennessee next plays on the road against UNC on Wednesday in the ACC-SEC Challenge.

7. G LJ Cryer, Houston

The Buzz: LJ Cryer was one of the bigger portal additions of the summer for Houston. Cryer led the Big 12 in three-point shooting last season at 41.5 percent and he has won a national title while at Baylor. The 6-foot-1 guard started the season a little slow but has picked it up as the season has worn on. Houston remains in the top ten of the A.P. Poll. They are now 7-0 after winning the Charleston Classic. Cryer leads the way in scoring for Houston this season at 17.0 per game, shooting 37.9 percent from three. His 2.3 assists are also second on the team.

8. G Wooga Poplar, Miami

The Buzz: Miami junior Wooga Poplar has been a steady force for the Hurricanes. They have started the season 5-0 with an average margin of victory of 16.2. They have five players averaging between 11.6 and 18.0 points with three different people leading the team in scoring for at least one game. It is the 6-foot-5 guard that leads the way at 18.0 points. He is also second on the team at 6.0 rebounds. Perhaps the most impressive to start the season for Polar is that he is shooting 59.4 percent from three on 6.4 attempts per game.

9. F Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State

The Buzz: San Diego State fifth-year senior Jaedon LeDee has gotten off to as hot of a start as anyone in the country. Through his first six games, LeDee is averaging 25.5 points and 10.0 rebounds on 56.7 percent from the field. After making a run to the final game of college basketball’s NCAA Tournament last season, LeDee is playing 36.5 minutes this season. The Aztecs are now 5-1 with wins in each of the last four games. Ledee followed up a 25 and eight-game against Saint Mary’s with a 34-point, 17-rebound game against Washington this week. 

10. G Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor

The Buzz: Baylor is now 6-0 on the season, and freshman Ja’Kobe Walter has led them in scoring in three of the six wins. The 6-foot-5 guard is now averaging 17.8 points and shooting 42.9 percent from three. Walter has scored more than 20 points in three of the team’s five Division 1 games this season, including a 28-point outburst against Auburn on opening night.