NCAA Basketball: 2017-18 National Player of the Year rankings after Week 3
By Connor Hope
10. Miles Bridges – Michigan State
15.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists
After a hot start to the season, an injury has slowed Michigan State’s Miles Bridges down, although the Spartans have continued to win. After missing the game against DePaul and playing limited minutes against Connecticut, Bridges seemed to get back on track in the Spartan’s win over UNC. Michigan State will need Bridges to avoid further injuries if they want to continue being a title contender.
9. Jevon Carter – West Virginia
18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 4.4 steals
West Virginia’s Jevon Carter is continuing to validate those who call him the best two-way guard in college basketball. This past week, Carter averaged 21.3 points and 4.0 assists on offense and 4.3 steals on defense. Carter is the heart and soul of this Mountaineers’ team and is one of the biggest reasons for their defensive dominance.
8. Jordan Murphy – Minnesota
21.4 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists
It is no secret that the Big 10 has looked bad so far this season; however, Jordan Murphy has helped keep the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Top-25 with his scoring and effort on the boards. One of the most incredible stats this season, Murphy has recorded a double-double in all eight games played to this point. If he can continue to perform at a high level, Minnesota will remain with Michigan State at the top of the conference.
7. Tra Holder – Arizona State
23.3 points, 6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2 steals
Tra Holder may not be the most consistent player in the country, his high scoring games have helped the Arizona State Sun Devils to their incredible start. The Sun Devils have scored at least 90 points in every game this season, and Holder’s 40 point performance against Xavier helped lead the team to a 102-86 win. Holder has also been pretty good at creating turnovers on the defensive end of the floor.
6. Trae Young – Oklahoma
28.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 2.2 steals
No player had a better week than Trae Young had at the PK80. During the tournament in Portland, Young averaged 34.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 2.3 steals as the Sooners finished the weekend with 2 wins and a loss. Right now, Oklahoma is not a team that is guaranteed to make the NCAA Tournament, but Trae Young’s big weekend should make the Sooner faithful comfortable.