NCAA Basketball: 2019 Player of the Year rankings entering conference play
By Brian Rauf
The National Player of the Year race is still wide open after non-conference play but Zion Williamson is the leader. Here are our top 10 contenders.
Very rarely does the National Player of the Year frontrunner at the midway point of the season end up winning the award, and even more rarely does the most publicized player end up winning the award.
Last year, Trae Young filled both spots before many got “Trae Young fatigue” as his play started to suffer. He ended up being a first-team All-American but didn’t win player of the year in his own conference (that distinction went to Devonte’ Graham).
Zion Williamson is trying to buck both trends. Duke’s stud freshman has been a social media star for years now, but his hype machine has gone into overdrive since he put forth a stunning performance against Kentucky in the opener. Every ESPN broadcast and studio show seems to mention him in some form or fashion, as he has clearly been the biggest story in the sport.
Of course, last year Villanova’s Jalen Brunson emerged as the favorite late in the year after hanging around all season long. Several players are hoping to follow a similar pattern this season as the race is still very wide open.
Who are the current favorites and other contenders in the National Player of the Year race? Here are the top 10 candidates following the non-conference season.