NCAA Basketball: National Player of the Year Rankings after Week 1
By Connor Hope
20. Bryant McIntosh, Northwestern
19 points, 5 rebounds, 6.3 assists
It is early in the season and there are already whispers that the Northwestern Wildcats are overrated. While this may be the case, point guard Bryant McIntosh is certainly not disappointing. He has done everything for the Wildcats and is averaging 38.3 minutes per game after playing all 40 minutes against Creighton.
19. Robert Williams, Texas A&M
Has Not Played (Suspension)
Texas A&M’s Robert Williams is a player who will be one to watch as the season develops as he could lead an underrated Aggies team deep in the postseason. The Aggies pulled a huge upset over the West Virginia Mountaineers without Williams, who is suspended for the first two games of the season. With him back for the game against USC in a couple of weeks, we will get to see how good Texas A&M can really be.
18. Joel Berry II, North Carolina
8 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals
Like Shamet, it is tough to judge UNC’s Joel Berry on his one poor outing. There is definitely reason to believe that his 1 for 11 shooting performance was at least due in part to the broken bone in his right hand. It will be up to Berry to prove he belongs in the conversation, but dealing with the injury certainly doesn’t help his case.
17. Jock Landale, St. Mary’s
16 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists
The star player on the best mid-major team in the country, Saint Mary’s Jock Landale has had a solid opening week while still allowing teammates Calvin Hermanson and Emmett Naar to shine. The biggest concern for the senior is his ability to stay on the court, as he is averaging 3.7 fouls per game. If he can stay on the floor for more than 25 minutes per game, the Gaels will be incredibly difficult for any team to beat.
16. Reid Travis, Stanford
23 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists
While there will most likely be people saying that Reid Travis shouldn’t be this high based only on games against Cal Poly, Pacific, and Eastern Washington, he is the real deal. Travis was fantastic stat-wise against all three teams and his presence on the inside allowed his teammates more room to score. He has even worked on his passing, averaging 2.7 assists through three games.