College Basketball National Player of the Year: Week 5 Power Ranking
The college basketball National Player of the Year power ranking is always fluid throughout the season. While Zach Edey has remained at the top in each of the power ranking updates, the spots around him have already changed quite a bit. At this point, we have seen Feast Week and most teams have played around ten 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 we are into December, let’s discuss the men’s college basketball National Player of the Year, Week 5 Power Rankings.
1. C Zach Edey, Purdue
The Buzz: Zach Edey continues as the most dominant force in college basketball. Listed at 7-foot-4 and 300 pounds, he has averaged 31.6 points over his last three games with 11.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks. Purdue now sits at 9-1 with a game against No. 1 ranked Arizona in the Indy Classic on Dec. 16.
2. PG Tyler Kolek, Marquette
The Buzz: Marquette righted the ship after a two-loss in three games skid with a 20-plus point win over Texas in the Big East-Big 12 Battle. Tyler Kolek finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals in the win. Kolek followed that up with 17, seven, and seven against Notre Dame. Marquette is now 8-2. They play St. Thomas-Minnesota before they start Big East play against Providence on Dec. 19.
3. C Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
The Buzz: After dropping their lone loss to Marquette at the Maui Invitational, Kansas has rung off five consecutive wins, including Tennessee and UConn. Hunter Dickinson has finished with a double-double in four of those five games, and he is averaging 16.8 points and 14.0 rebounds. Kansas is now 9-1 and they will next play Indiana on Dec. 16.
4. F Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
The Buzz: Dalton Knecht is averaging 19.2 points on 39,1 percent shooting from three. The 6-foot-6 grad transfer has been a central piece for the Volunteers this season, efficiently being able to knock down shots and creating scoring opportunities. In his last outing, against No. 20 Illinois, Knecht finished with a team-high 21 points, going 7-14 from the field. The No. 17 ranked Tennessee will play Georgia Southern on Dec. 12 before their Dec. 16 matchup with NC State in the Hall of Fame Series.
5. C Kyle Filipowski, Duke
The Buzz: Still leading Duke in points, rebounds, steals, and blocks, sophomore Kyle Filipowski had an interesting past two games. While knocking down 8.5 points and going 6-19 from the field, he still was very productive in grabbing 11.0 rebounds, dishing 4.5 assists, and blocking 2.5 shots. The passing is something that Filipowski has not been able to show as much since being in college, but over his last five games, he is dishing out 3.4 assists per contest. Duke beat Charlotte this weekend, stopping a two-game skid. The Blue Devils are now 6-3 on the season. They will play Hofstra on Dec. 12 before a matchup against No. 6 Baylor on Dec. 20.
6. G LJ Cryer, Houston
The Buzz: Houston is 10-0 with a Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic championship under their belt. LJ Cryer is leading the Cougars in scoring, going over 20 points four times this season, including in three of their previous four games. Cryer is up to 17.8 points per contest and he is shooting 39.8 percent from three on 8.8 attempts per game. Next up for Houston is an in-state matchup with Texas A&M on Dec. 16.
7. F Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State
The Buzz: Jaedon LeDee has steadily been one of the most productive players in the country. The 6-foot-9 former four-star recruit is averaging 22.8 points and 10.3 rebounds on the season. He has gone for over twenty points in six of San Diego State’s nine games and has six double-double games on the season. San Diego State will play Saint Catherine’s on Dec. 19, and then have Stanford and Gonzaga back-to-back before heading into league play on Jan. 3.
8. F Kevin McCullar, Kansas
The Buzz: While the focal point of what Kansas does is with Hunter Dickinson, Kevin McCullar might be the straw that stirs the drink. In the Jayhawks five games since their drop to Marquette in the Maui Invitational, McCullar is averaging 19.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per contest on 47.8 percent shooting from the field.
9. G Tristen Newton, UConn
The Buzz: UConn is 9-1 and they are playing like one of the best teams in the country. A big reason for that has been the go-to play of senior guard Tristen Newton. Newton secured a triple-double earlier this season against Manhattan, and since that game, the 6-foot-5 guard has put up 18.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.6 assists per contest, and shot 39.3 percent from three. UConn plays Gonzaga next on Dec. 15 in the Continental Tire Seattle Tip-Off.
10. F PJ Hall, Clemson
The Buzz: Clemson is 9-0 and No. 13 in the A.P. Poll. The Tigers are one of only seven remaining undefeated teams in Division One basketball. PJ Hall leads the way in points (20.1) and blocks (2.3) and is second in rebounds (7.6) and third in assists (2.6). Hall, a 6-foot-10 post player is also shooting 40.5 percent from three on 4.7 attempts per game. The Tigers will next play Memphis on Dec. 16 in their quest to move to 10-0 on the season.