As college basketball fans well know, the cold temperatures of January always indicate the arrival of red-hot conference races.
But even as league action revs up into high gear nationwide, discussions and debates are taking place regarding the prospect of individual postseason glory. Specifically, media pundits have begun their annual evaluation of potential National Player of the Year candidates.
And even though more than two months of basketball remains to be played before any honors can be bestowed, some definite favorites are emerging in the quest to claim college hoops’ top individual award.
Here are five front-runners for player of the year honors in 2015-16.
Honorable mention to Rasheed Sulaimon, Melo Trimble, Kris Dunn, Georges Niang, Jakob Poeltl, A.J. Hammons, Malcolm Brogdon, Gary Payton II
Next: Buddy Hield
1. Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
The native of Freeport in the Bahamas has emerged as a likely leader due to his fantastic early season showing.
Forgetting Hield’s gaudy statistical line of 26.6 points, 52 percent shooting from the field and 90.1 percent marksmanship from the free throw line, the 6-foot-4 shooter stamped his status as arguably the nation’s best player in Oklahoma’s recent meeting with Kansas.
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Playing before a national audience, Hield dazzled onlookers with his 46 points in a classic showdown between the Sooners and Jayhawks. Not only did he connect on 13-of-23 shots and 8-of-15 from three-point range, Hield also logged an incredible 54 of 55 minutes in Oklahoma’s 109-106 triple-overtime loss at Allen Fieldhouse.
One might think such a grinding affair would lead to a hangover effect heading into Oklahoma’s next contest. Hield’s response? Scoring 31 points on 11-of-14 shooting in leading the Sooners to a win over Kansas State.
In other words, Hield has stepped forward to assert himself as one of the elite players in the country. He’s an aggressive attacker of the basket with the range to knock down triples from well beyond the arch.
He’s also a tireless worker on defense and if Hield continues at his current pace, the Bahamian could be well on his way to claiming player of the year honors.
Next: Denzel Valentine
2. Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
Valentine embodies the Spartan-system under coach Tom Izzo. Neither flashy nor glamorous, the 6-foot-5 Lansing, Mich. native is simply cold-hearted and efficient.
Valentine is averaging 18.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists per contest in helping Michigan State to a 15-1 record. As the numbers indicate, he does a little bit of everything each night.
Spartan Avenue
While the senior has missed the last four games due to left knee surgery, there is little doubt the Spartans are a better team when Valentine is on the court. Their only loss, an 83-70 defeat to Iowa on Dec. 29, took place without him in the lineup.
Michigan State is a perfect 12-0 when Valentine is available, including a 79-73 win over Kansas on Nov. 17. All he did in that game was net 29 points and grab 12 rebounds.
Against Louisville a few weeks later, Valentine was stellar yet again, scoring 25 points and dishing out seven assists.
In both contests, the Spartans rallied from halftime deficits to pull out victories. It’s no coincidence Valentine served as the catalyst on each occasion.
The only question is how quickly Valentine can regain his touch following the four-game layoff. If he returns to previous form in a hurry, the Spartans may have a future player of the year in their midst.
Next: Grayson Allen
3. Grayson Allen, Duke
Little did we know last year’s Final Four would serve as the ultimate coming out party for Duke’s latest basketball sensation.
Already acclaimed for his vast array of highlight reel dunks, Allen has become a complete player for Mike Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils.
Inside the Loud House
Currently, he’s scoring 20.5 points and shooting 48.3 percent from the field in leading a Duke offense that averages 88.1 points per outing. Considering the Jacksonville, Fla. native only played 9.2 minutes and averaged 4.4 points a season ago, Allen’s rise to stardom has been stratospheric.
Able to stretch the defense from outside or slash to the rim, he’s become Duke’s top offensive option and helped the Blue Devils to a 12-2 start heading into their Wednesday date at Clemson.
One potential detractor for the talented guard could be the fact that Allen only scored six and seven points respectively in Duke’s losses to Kentucky and Utah. But the 6-foot-5 dynamo also put in 32 and 30 points respectively in victories over Georgetown and VCU and has scored at least 20 points eight times.
The question is whether he can carry Duke when it matters most. If Allen can find that extra gear as the conference season continues, he’ll put himself squarely in the mix for a bevy of individual accolades come March.
Next: Ben Simmons
4. Ben Simmons, LSU
Much was made of Simmons’ arrival in college and he hasn’t disappointed.
The 6-foot-10 Australian is pouring in 20.6 points, grabbing a gaudy 13.1 rebounds and is handing out 5.1 assists per night.
The downside? LSU is just 9-6 in a season many thought would be special for folks down in Tiger country.
Nevertheless, Simmons has already made his mark as the anticipated top pick in next year’s NBA Draft. His ability to handle the ball in the open court has drawn comparisons to a young LeBron James. And if he can continue on that trajectory, Simmons will likely get some votes for player of the year.
Next: Perry Ellis
5. Perry Ellis, Kansas
Ellis has been a steadying force for a deep and talented Jayhawks team.
Averaging 16 points on 49.7 percent shooting, the 6-foot-8 senior is a big reason Kansas is ranked No. 1 in the latest AP Poll.
Along with grabbing 6.9 rebounds per game, the versatile performer is also knocking down 54.5 percent of his attempts from three-point range, creating matchup problems for the opposition on a nightly basis.
Ellis has also stepped up in some of the Jayhawks’ biggest games. Against Michigan State, he scored 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Against UCLA, he scored 24 points on 9-of-12 marksmanship.
In a road win over San Diego State, Ellis scored 20 points while hitting 8-of-15 shots. And versus Oklahoma last Monday, he scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
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Based on those performances alone, the Wichita, Kan. native has placed himself in elite company when it comes to performing on the big stage.
If the Jayhawks remain No. 1 and Ellis continues to perform at a high level, he could see some big-time national attention coming his way.