NCAA basketball: Ranking the 30 Naismith award finalists

No. 26: Mohamed Bamba – Freshman center, Texas

2017-18 stats: 13.7 ppg 10.8 rpg 0.5 apg

Best season performance: 22 points, 15 rebounds and eight blocks in a loss to Kansas

If I told you that the freshman freak athlete would be the lead scorer for the Longhorns in scoring, folks in Austin would freak out. But that hasn’t been the case, as the offensive game for the freshman has been coming along since the start of conference play.

In the last seven games, Bamba has averaged 18.7 ppg, and is starting to become more than just a dunking machine. He has been a blocking machine, already with 100 rejected shots. If his offense can catch up with his already great defense, he could carry Texas through a nice postseason run.

No. 25: – Bryce Brown – Junior guard, Auburn

2017-18 stats: 16.6 ppg 2.2 rpg 1.8 apg

Best season performance: 28 points in win over Georgia

There might not be a bigger surprise on this list, for both the player and the team. The Tigers lost arguably their two best players on the team from earlier in the season. And while many players for Bruce Pearl have stepped up, Brown has been the biggest revelation.

The top scorer on the team, the junior guard’s primary responsibility has been to provide the scoring for the SEC’s leaders in the standings. Only once has he scored less than 12 points in conference play, and should be the front-runner for the top league individual award.