Who’s the front-runner for men’s National Player of the Year in college basketball? We’re nearly two months into the season, and conference play is just now getting into full swing. Last year’s winner, Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, became the first men’s player in more than a decade to win the award and return for another season, but he’s not in pole position for this year’s honor. Here’s a look at the top contenders as of now and their case for the trophy.
1. Zach Edey, Purdue
If this award were handed out today, there’s little doubt it would go to Edey. The 7’4” Canadian is not only the best player on the No. 1 team in the AP poll, but he’s also putting up video game numbers, averaging 22.6 points and 13.9 rebounds. After sharing the spotlight with Jaden Ivey and Trevion Williams last season, Edey is now the star of the show for the Boilermakers, playing a massive minutes load considering his size. And he’s not just feasting on undersized frontcourts: Edey dominated Duke’s and Gonzaga’s front lines to lead Purdue to a championship at PK85 in November. Save for injury or the Boilermakers really falling off in conference play, it’s hard to believe Edey won’t be considered a top contender for this award come March.
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2. Jalen Wilson, Kansas
A role player on last year’s championship team, Wilson has thrived in a scaled-up role as the leading scorer for the Jayhawks in 2022–23. His scoring average has leaped from 11 points per game a season ago to more than 21 points per game this year. Wilson’s playmaking ability has been valuable in creating mismatches, but his growth creating offense off the bounce for himself this offseason was essential for a Kansas team lacking a true scorer in the backcourt. He’s been fairly efficient despite being one of college basketball’s highest-volume scorers, and balled out in big wins against Duke (25 points, 11 rebounds, five assists), Wisconsin (29 points, 14 rebounds) and Missouri (24 points, 10 rebounds). If KU repeats as national champions, Wilson’s return after testing the NBA draft waters in the offseason will have been a huge reason why.
3. Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Timme is putting together one of the most impressive statistical seasons I’ve seen for a big man. He’s averaging more than 22 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game, thresholds hit by just three other men’s players in the last 30 years. With more question marks at point guard than in past seasons, Mark Few has run the offense through Timme regularly, allowing the center to showcase his impressive passing chops. His skill level both facing up and with his back to the basket is incredibly rare and makes him one of the most gifted offensive players we’ve seen in a long time. Gonzaga being slightly less dominant than usual likely hurts his candidacy, but a strong second half for the Bulldogs would give Timme a solid case in what is likely to be his final year in Spokane.
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4. Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona
Tubelis is the sport’s most underappreciated star and deserves legitimate consideration for National Player of the Year honors. He’s both remarkably productive and remarkably efficient and is the centerpiece of the nation’s best offense at Arizona. Averaging more than 20 points and eight rebounds per game and shooting 60% from the field, 40% from three and 80% from the free throw line is incredibly impressive, but arguably his best skill is something that doesn’t show up on a stat sheet: how he runs the floor. The pressure he and Oumar Ballo put on opposing defenses with runs to the rim in transition and early post-ups not only earns him plenty of easy baskets but also frequently creates wide-open three-point looks for shooters. Tubelis is likely not seen as a big enough “star” because of his shared spotlight with Ballo and Kerr Kriisa to win this award, but he absolutely should be in the conversation.
5. Marcus Sasser, Houston
Guard play is somewhat down across men’s college basketball, but Sasser has a strong case for being the nation’s best backcourt player. He hasn’t had the massive statistical season some might have anticipated, but much of that can be attributed to shooting variance: He’s making just 33% of his threes so far after making 43% in a similar sample size last season. Even with the threes not falling at quite as high a rate, Sasser still finds ways to be impactful thanks to his ability to make plays off the bounce and defend at a high level. He’s the leader of a Houston team that could easily end up as the No. 1 overall seed come NCAA tournament time and will certainly be in the conversation for this award if that’s the case.
