NCAA Basketball: 2017-2018 Player of the Year Power Rankings “This is March” Edition
By Connor Hope
5. DeAndre Ayton – Arizona
19.9 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 1.5 apg
The fifth spot on this list came down to Marvin Bagley III of Duke and DeAndre Ayton of Arizona. While Ayton has recently come under scrutiny for the $100,000 that Sean Miller allegedly offered for his commitment, he has remained eligible to play and thus kept his spot on this list.
With all the issues surrounding Arizona, it is easy to expect Ayton to fall out of favor. However, his 19.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game have made him one of the most dominant bigs in the game.
Now, with Allonzo Trier ruled ineligible for testing positive for a banned substance, Ayton will need to take on even more responsibility as a leader for the Wildcats. Many will rule Arizona out in the Pac-12 tournament without Trier playing, but Ayton and the rest of the team have the talent to secure the auto-bid once again.