The college basketball season is almost at the mid-point of February, which puts the sport roughly one month before Selection Sunday and the announcement of the teams which will play in the NCAA Tournament. The stretch run is almost beginning, and while that primarily refers to teams trying to get certain seeds or at-large berths, the stretch run also refers to the race for the player of the year in college basketball. Here are five foremost candidates for the Wooden Award:
Josh Hart, Villanova Wildcats
There is plenty of debate about which player is and has been the best in college basketball this season. Hart is still an excellent choice – maybe not the unquestioned number one, but certainly a player with as good a chance as anyone around. Hart simply hits big shots – he did so again on Tuesday against Georgetown to put the Hoyas away. He is a quiet and soft-spoken person who creates a great environment in which his Villanova teammates can coexist, but when he gets locked in, he is a cutthroat closer and a tough defensive player with a nose for loose balls. Hart is special, and therefore it will take a special effort to knock him off in this race for the Wooden Award.
Lonzo Ball, UCLA Bruins
The man who is right there with Hart for player of the year consideration in college basketball is Ball, who on Thursday of this week, faces Oregon in a matchup of top-15 teams. If Ball goes off and puts up a big number against the Ducks, that will speak volumes about his ability to win games against the best. UCLA lost at home to Arizona in January, so Ball needs a win over a top Pac-12 adversary in order to feel good about his chances for the Wooden Award.
UCLA has won three straight games and is next slated to host the Oregon State Beavers on Sunday night at 5:00 PM ET.
Frank Mason, Kansas Jayhawks
The game comes so naturally to Mason, who immediately takes the ball at the top of the key (if he hasn’t been dribbling it upcourt) and drives to the basket before the defense can set up and before the big man can make the rotation to stop the ball. Mason’s quickness, court savvy, and finishing skills in traffic make him an elite point guard for a team which leads its conference, and is on the verge of winning the Big 12 title for 13 straight years. Mason belongs on this short list for the Wooden Award.
Mason had a bit of an off-game on Saturday when the Kansas Jayhawks barely edged the Texas Tech Red Raiders 80-79 in Lubbock. He had 12 points for the game but shot just four-of-13 from the field. Nonetheless, the Jayhawks improved to 22-3.
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue Boilermakers
This is the physical freak in the bunch. Swanigan is a load in the paint, using his big and wide body to clear out space and move forcefully past anyone who tries to defend him. Swanigan on the low block is simply lethal, and it’s why Purdue has been so good. What adds to the magic of Swanigan is that he can step out and hit threes. He is not a one-note player, and his physical strength does not limit the scope of how well he can score from all spots on the court.
The Boilermakers improved to 20-5 on Saturday with a win at Indiana. Swanigan had another strong game as he scored 16 points while adding 14 rebounds and three assists.
Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga Bulldogs
The dark horse for this award is Williams-Goss, the transfer from the University of Washington who has quietly stepped into the Gonzaga lineup and enabled the Zags to be unbeaten heading into Thursday night. Williams-Goss is quick, but makes good decisions. He is active and aggressive, but he doesn’t get caught out of position on defense. He is a leader and a tone-setter for his very successful team. If Gonzaga finishes the regular season at No. 1, watch for Williams-Goss to move up the leaderboard.
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