A tip of the cap is due to the following worthy player of the year candidates, all of whom have played very well but not quite well enough to crack the Fredette-Walker-Sullinger chokehold on the top three spots.
Jordan Hamilton, Texas: As the old saying goes, you know the best thing about freshman? They become Jordan Hamiltons. The 6-foot-7 Texas sophomore has taken the biggest frosh-to-soph leap in the nation in 2010-11, transforming from his inexperienced, turnover-prone rookie self into a downright lethal scorer (19.2 ppg) this season. Hamilton hasn’t gotten the national love he deserves just yet, but if the Longhorns keep winning like this -- a rare road win at Kansas being their latest result -- the gifted youngster is bound to start winning over hearts and minds. Who would have seen that coming?
JaJuan Johnson, Purdue: The Boilermakers’ impressive Big Ten start -- with the exception of Tuesday’s blowout at Ohio State -- is due in large part to the elevation of Johnson’s game in his senior season. He was a preseason All-American, so it’s not like this came out of nowhere, but his numbers (20.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.2 bpg) are remarkable across the board. Teammate E’Twaun Moore is also worth mentioning here. It’s a little scary to think how good this team would be if Robbie Hummel was healthy. As it is, thanks to Johnson and Moore, it’s still very good.
Terrence Jones, Kentucky: If you’re surprised by this pick, you probably haven’t been paying much attention. Or perhaps you’re paying too much. If it’s the latter, you probably saw John Calipari’s recent tirade at his talented freshman forward and thought, “Man, Jones must not be playing well, huh?” Quite the contrary: Jones is one of the most well-rounded and efficient players in the country, a player whose unique scoring talent is eclipsed only by his defense and rebounding.
Jon Leuer, Wisconsin: It remains criminal that Leuer hasn’t received more national attention this season. It’s almost as if people get so bored with Wisconsin they tune out the team’s consistent, if not exactly thrilling, excellence. But Leuer has been one of the main reasons for that excellence on the offensive end this season. On a tempo-free basis, he’s one of the best players in the country. As it is, his team’s plodding pace keeps him from posting truly mind-blowing counting stats, and his player of the year candidacy suffers accordingly. But how many 6-foot-10 players shoot 47 percent (41-87) from 3?
Nolan Smith, Duke: The Duke guard was good before a toe injury sidelined talented freshman Kyrie Irving. Smith has been great since, averaging 22.3 points, 6.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds in the 12 games without Irving. He has excelled in the dual role -- as floor general and go-to perimeter scorer -- expected of him since Irving’s injury, and he’s been the heart and soul of a Duke team still favored to compete for the national title despite (arguably) its best player sitting on the sidelines in a protective boot. Not too shabby.
Derrick Williams, Arizona: Unless you live on the West Coast or watch "SportsCenter" for dunks like this one, you might not have seen Williams play much. That’s a shame. There’s a reason he’s the No. 1-rated offensive player in college basketball according to the well-regarded kenpom.com. In 29 minutes of play, the sophomore forward averages 20 points and eight rebounds, shooting 63 percent from the field, 75 percent from the line and a remarkable 68 percent from 3 (21-of-31).
Source:
No comments:
Post a Comment