KenPom releases updated rankings for National Player of the Year

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner•02/26/22•

Jonathan Wagner

There are just a few games remaining in the regular season. Many players have established themselves as favorites to bring home this season’s National Player of the Year award, while others are viewed as dark horse candidates. KenPom just released its updated rankings in the National Player of the Year race.

KenPom’s updated National Player of the Year rankings

  1. Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky (1.826 rating)
  2. Drew Timme, Gonzaga (1.592)
  3. Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga (1.571)
  4. EJ Liddell, Ohio State (1.509)
  5. Keegan Murray, Iowa (1.464)
  6. Orlando Robinson, Fresno State (1.382)
  7. Johnny Davis, Wisconsin (1.305)
  8. Paolo Banchero, Duke (1.277)
  9. Kofi Cockburn, Illinois (1.262)
  10. Tari Eason, LSU (1.228)

A pair of Gonzaga teammates headline the list

Oscar Tshiebwe is KenPom’s National Player of the Year favorite at this point in the season. Tshiebwe is in his first season with Kentucky after spending two years at West Virginia. He is playing 31 minutes per game, averaging 16.4 points, 15.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks.

Right behind Tshiebwe is a pair of Gonzaga teammates in Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren. Timme is averaging 27.2 minutes per game in his third year with Gonzaga, averaging 18.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. Holmgren is in his first collegiate season, and he is playing 26.6 minutes per game. Holmgren is nearly posting a double-double, averaging 14.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game to go along with 3.6 blocks.

Four players from the Big Ten make KenPom’s top ten rankings for the National Player of the Year. EJ Liddell from Ohio State has risen all the way up to fourth. Liddell is in his third year at Ohio State, playing 32.5 minutes per game and averaging 19.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks. Iowa’s Keegan Murray, posting averages of 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 31 minutes per game, rounds out the top five. Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis comes in at seventh, as he is averaging 20.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 34.8 minutes. Illinois center Kofi Cockburn is also climbing, as he is averaging 21.2 points with 10.8 rebounds per game.

Orlando Robinson out of Fresno State is also creeping his way up the rankings, currently in sixth. He is in his third year at Fresno State, and has started every game in his career. Robinson is averaging 18.4 points with 8.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 31.7 minutes. Duke’s Paolo Banchero has come on strong as a freshman, averaging 16.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists. LSU’s Tari Eason has also had a big year in his first year with the Tigers since transferring from Cincinnati after last season. Eason comes off of LSU’s bench, and only has four starts. But he averages 16.5 points with 6.9 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game.