Latest Top 25 Ranking for Men's College Basketball National Player of the Year

If you thought back-to-the-basket big men were a dying breed in men's college basketball, our updated ranking of candidates for National Player of the Year might change your mind.

Four of the eight players atop our list have yet to attempt a three-pointer this season, and only two of the top eight are averaging more than one three-point attempt per game.

That doesn't mean an old-school center is destined to win the Wooden Award, though Purdue's Zach Edey would possibly win in unanimous fashion if the vote were held today. Kansas' Jalen Wilson and Connecticut's Adama Sanogo are still very much in the running, and Alabama's freshman phenom Brandon Miller has emphatically entered the chat with his recent performances.

As a reminder, team success plays a huge role in NPOY discussions. Not only has all but one Wooden Award winner come from a team that earned a No. 4 seed or better in the NCAA tournament, but the finalists also generally come from AP Top 10 teams.

So, yes, most of these players are from currently ranked teams. Everyone in our top 10 plays for a team in the AP Top 20. But we do have eight players in the Nos. 11-25 range whose teams aren't ranked.

Players are ranked on a combination of overall individual production/efficiency and team success.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics are current through start of play on Wednesday, Dec. 21.

Honorable Mentions: Anthony Black, Arkansas; Branden Carlson, Utah; Jaylen Clark, UCLA; Yuri Collins, Saint Louis; Keyonte George, Baylor; Brandin Podziemski, Santa Clara; Tolu Smith, Mississippi State; Nick Smith Jr., Arkansas; Julian Strawther, Gonzaga; Cason Wallace, Kentucky; Cam Whitmore, Villanova

No. 25: Taevion Kinsey, Marshall (Previous Rank: Not Listed)
21.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 5.4 APG, 2.1 SPG, 38.9 3P%

We could have instead given this spot to one of the several marquee freshmen among our honorable mentions who is more likely to actually be in the NPOY mix at the end of the year, but none of them is averaging 20 points, five rebounds and five assists like Kinsey is. In fact, no one else in the nation is. The veteran leader of the 11-2 Thundering Herd plays nearly every minute of every game and has finished each game with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio.

No. 24: Kendric Davis, Memphis (Previous Rank: Honorable Mention)
19.8 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.8 RPG, 2.0 SPG

Davis almost made the cut two weeks ago, and then he put up a combined line of 80 points, 20 assists, 13 rebounds and nine steals in consecutive games against Auburn, Alabama and Texas A&M, leading the Tigers to two wins and a close call on the road against the Crimson Tide. Memphis is making a push for the AP Top 25, but its stat-sheet-stuffing star is already in our top 25.

No. 23: Johni Broome, Auburn (Previous Rank: 15)
11.6 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.0 BPG, 1.2 SPG

We mentioned Broome's poor shooting in the last ranking, and he has responded by making 18 of 25 (72 percent) field-goal attempts in his past three games. Unfortunately, Auburn lost two of those three games, and he wasn't as impactful as usual on defense, which is his calling card. There's still some NPOY potential here, though, if he can take over a game or two against a Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas or Alabama.

No. 22: Adam Flagler, Baylor (Previous Rank: 25)
15.7 PPG, 5.7 APG, 2.8 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 51.8 3P%

The gap between Flagler and freshman teammate Keyonte George seems to grow smaller by the day, but Flagler is significantly more efficient and marginally better on defense. Flagler has scored in double figures in every game he has played and also has 48 assists through his first seven games. He gets the nod as Baylor's MVP until George inevitably goes off for 35 against one of the Big 12's many NCAA tournament teams.

No. 21: Marcus Carr, Texas (Previous Rank: 24)
15.6 PPG, 4.3 APG, 2.7 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 35.7 3P%

Carr had 16 points and seven assists in a big win over Gonzaga as well as 19 points, five assists and five rebounds in a win over Creighton. But his most impressive performance came in an unexpected overtime affair with Rice, in which he scored eight of his 28 points in the extra period to help save the Longhorns from what would have been a disastrous loss.

No. 20: Kyle Filipowski, Duke (Previous Rank: 20)
14.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 1.3 APG

Dereck Lively II and Dariq Whitehead are finally starting to make a real impact for Duke, but they have a lot of work to do to catch up to their fellow freshman, who just keeps churning out solid performances. With both Lively and Whitehead out sick for Tuesday's game against Wake Forest, though, the Demon Deacons were able to focus almost entirely on Filipowski, holding him to nine points and six rebounds—his first single-digit performance of the season.

No. 19: Jake Stephens, Chattanooga (Previous Rank: Not Listed)
22.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.5 BPG, 48.2 3P%

If Stephen Curry couldn't win the Wooden Award from the Southern Conference, it's hard to imagine Stephens is going to get much love for the honor. But Chattanooga's 7'0", three-point-sniping center has amassed at least 15 points and seven rebounds in each game. Stephens has seven double-doubles, including Sunday's game against Belmont in which he went for 32 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, five blocks and three steals.

No. 18: Isaiah Wong, Miami (Previous Rank: Not Listed)
17.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.8 SPG, 37.7 3P%

Is 12-1 Miami the best team in the ACC? It sure looks that way when Wong gets into a groove. He has accounted for at least 22 points, five rebounds and five assists in four consecutive games, including Tuesday night's marquee victory over Virginia. He also had 22 points, eight assists and no turnovers in the Dec. 10 win over NC State. Buy low on Wong and the Hurricanes while you still can.

No. 17: Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA (Previous Rank: 19)
17.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 2.0 SPG

Jaylen Clark has been quite the breakout star for the Bruins, but it's still the Jaquez Show at UCLA. The veteran power forward has put up at least a dozen points in every game thus far. That includes going for 14 with seven rebounds and four steals in UCLA's annihilation of Maryland as well as 19 points, 12 rebounds, four steals and four assists in this past weekend's marquee victory over Kentucky.

No. 16: Hunter Dickinson, Michigan (Previous Rank: 13)
19.1 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 1.2 APG

Michigan has played just two games since our previous top 25, and Dickinson was less dominant than usual (17 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 0.5 BPG) against mediocre-at-best competition (Minnesota and Lipscomb). But if he can get back to the 23.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 4.0 BPG he averaged in back-to-back games against Virginia and Kentucky when Michigan battles Armando Bacot and North Carolina on Wednesday, it would help his NPOY cause immensely.

No. 15: Kris Murray, Iowa (Previous Rank: 5)
19.4 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 37.8 3P%

Murray has missed Iowa's past three games with a foot injury, he didn't play well the last time he was on the floor against Duke, and the Hawkeyes have lost three of their past six games. That's a great confluence of events, but it's going to take more than that for us to discard a candidate who posted a double-double in all four November games played against major-conference competition, including that absurd 31-point, 20-rebound game against Georgia Tech. (Keegan Murray also endured an injury/rough stretch around this time last year before coming back and dominating, so fingers crossed in Iowa.)

No. 14: Armando Bacot, North Carolina (Previous Rank: 18)
17.5 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 1.4 APG

UNC's four-game losing skid has given way to a three-game winning streak in which Bacot is averaging 21 points and 13 rebounds. He was especially good in the overtime win over Ohio State, finishing with 28 points, 15 rebounds and three assists while also largely neutralizing Buckeyes big man Zed Key. As previously mentioned, a big game against Michigan and Hunter Dickinson is on tap for Wednesday.

No. 13: Jordan "Jelly" Walker, UAB (Previous Rank: 12)
24.6 PPG, 5.2 APG, 2.5 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 41.7 3P%

It might be a season-long battle between Walker and Detroit's Antoine Davis for the scoring title. But in addition to playing on a team that actually has a discernible NCAA tournament pulse, Walker's secondary numbers are much better than Davis'. Jelly has tallied at least six dimes in each of his past four games, including a win over South Carolina with 22 points, seven assists and one turnover. He also had 31 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals in a win over Georgia in November.

No. 12: Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois (Previous Rank: 10)
17.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 34.8 3P%

We probably should've dropped Shannon further after his woeful performance—four points, two rebounds, three turnovers—in a 15-point home loss to Penn State. But that doesn't erase his sensational game against UCLA in Las Vegas (29 points, 10 rebounds, three assists), nor his late heroics in the win over Texas at Madison Square Garden. Frankly, the Penn State game just goes to show how indispensable Shannon is for the Illini. But we did want to make sure to drop him behind...

No. 11: Jalen Pickett, Penn State (Previous Rank: 16)
16.2 PPG, 7.6 APG, 7.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG

Pickett is our highest-ranked player from an unranked team, but certain exceptions need to be made when someone is averaging 16, seven and seven. Even if he drops a bit off those paces and finishes at 15, 6.5 and 6.5, he'd be just the fifth player in the past three decades to pull it off. And y'all can spare me the "it won't happen in the Big Ten" retort, because in two games thus far against Michigan State and Illinois, Pickett is at 16.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists. He also had a triple-double against Butler.

No. 10: Brandon Miller, Alabama (Previous Rank: 14)
19.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 44.2 3P%

Miller is beginning to run away with the Freshman of the Year crown and is now taking serious aim at NPOY. He had rough shooting nights in Alabama's wins over Houston and North Carolina (combined 4-of-29 from the field), but he lit up Michigan State for 24 points, more recently torched Memphis for 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists and was on fire last weekend with 36 points against Gonzaga. Though Alabama lost the game, it was the most points scored by a single player against the Zags in over a decade.

No. 9: Marcus Sasser, Houston (Previous Rank: 4)
15.9 PPG, 2.7 APG, 2.6 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 30.5 3P%

The past two Saturdays presented a gigantic opportunity for Sasser to prove he deserved all of the preseason All-American accolades. And, well, he squandered it. Against Alabama and Virginia, Sasser shot a combined 6-of-25 from the field (3-of-13 from distance) for 22 points, four assists, three steals and two rebounds. Those aren't terrible performances, mind you, but he won't get another chance to shine against a marquee opponent, so he'll really need to improve his stats in American Athletic Conference play to stay in the mix for NPOY.

No. 8: Oumar Ballo, Arizona (Previous Rank: 6)
17.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 1.5 APG

No. 7: Ažuolas Tubelis, Arizona (Previous Rank: 11)19.6 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG

If we could just submit "Arizona Frontcourt" as a candidate for National Player of the Year, at least Zach Edey would have a legitimate challenger atop the rankings.

Both Ballo and Tubelis have scored at least 11 points in each game. Ballo has been marginally more impactful on the glass and on defense, but Tubelis is the slightly better, more versatile scorer. (Tubelis is 4-of-12 from three-point range this season; Ballo has yet to attempt a three in his third collegiate season.)

But here's your tiebreaker: free throws. Tubelis is 39-of-46 (84.8 percent) for the year, while Ballo is at 48-of-87 (55.2 percent). That sure feels like an NCAA tournament liability waiting to happen, as the big man from Mali draws fouls at one of the highest rates in the nation.

Still, we'll take both Wildcats in our top 10 until one legitimately separates himself from the other.

No. 6: Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana (Previous Rank: 7)
16.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.7 BPG

Indiana has already lost three games by double digits this month (Rutgers, Arizona and Kansas) with Jackson-Davis shooting 50 percent or worse from the field in each of those contests. But he also had a points/rebounds/assists triple-double in a win over Nebraska and racked up nine blocks (without committing a single foul) in the loss to Kansas. TJD has scored in double figures in each game played and remains the clear key to the Hoosiers living up to their potential.

No. 5: Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky (Previous Rank: 3)
15.1 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.8 BPG, 1.6 SPG

Big O couldn't save Big Blue Nation from taking a big L against UCLA on Saturday. Tshiebwe had 16 rebounds as well as multiple blocks, steals and assists for the third time this season, but he shot 4-of-12 from the field and missed each of his four free-throw attempts in the 63-53 loss. He has only played eight games and has already been held below 10 points three times. There's still time and plenty of high-profile games in which Tshiebwe can right the ship, but the dream of repeating as National Player of the Year is fading.

No. 4: Drew Timme, Gonzaga (Previous Rank: 9)
22.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.1 BPG

Timme was No. 9 in the previous ranking, and he was actually going to land in the 15-17 range prior to putting up 29 points and 17 rebounds in a close win over Kent State. Starting with that Dec. 5 game, Timme has averaged 27.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists during Gonzaga's five-game winning streak, including a 29-point double-double in the victory over Alabama. Save for the dud against Baylor and the occasional bout of turnover-itis, he has been as great as expected.

No. 3: Adama Sanogo, Connecticut (Previous Rank: 8)
18.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 42.9 3P%

Sanogo's per-game numbers are impressive enough, but even more so when you realize he's doing it in just 24.7 minutes per game. Prior to Tuesday's win over Georgetown, on a per-40 basis, he was averaging 30.9 points, 11.8 rebounds and more than five combined assists, steals and blocks. At Butler on Saturday, he had 27 points, 14 rebounds and three dimes. Maybe one of these days, an opponent will give Connecticut a run for its money and he'll actually go for 30 and 12 in a full-game effort.

No. 2: Jalen Wilson, Kansas (Previous Rank: 2)
21.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 34.8 3P%

Wilson couldn't buy a bucket in Saturday's blowout win over Indiana, going 4-of-18 from the field. And yet, he ended up tallying 11 points, eight rebounds and two steals for a reigning national champion that has staked its early claim to a projected No. 1 seed. More importantly, he was also fantastic in wins over Duke, Wisconsin, NC State, Seton Hall and Missouri, recording a double-double in each of those games.

No. 1: Zach Edey, Purdue (Previous Rank: 1)
22.6 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 2.2 BPG, 1.0 APG

It's probably fair to wonder if Edey is going to wear down before the end of the campaign. The 7'4" phenom never once logged more than 27 minutes in either of his first two seasons, but he has played at least 30 minutes in each of his past seven games, including 43 minutes in an overtime game against Nebraska.

For however long it lasts, though, it sure has been fun to watch him churn out KenPom.com game MVPs every time out.

Through four December games, Edey has averaged 23.5 points and 18.3 rebounds. He has set career highs for points (31), rebounds (22) and blocks (seven) all in the past three weeks. And here's hoping Matt Painter lets Edey pad his stats even further in these next two games against New Orleans and Florida A&M, as neither of those teams has anyone who could possibly be expected to hang with Edey.