NCAA Basketball: Nevada, Rui Hachimura top non-conference mid-major performers
By Logan Butts
After a tumultuous first few months of the season, it’s time for conference play. But first, let’s take a look at the top NCAA Basketball mid-major performers of the non-conference.
Best Performance, Individual – Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga Bulldogs
It’s rare for a true mid-major player to win the Naismith College Player of the Year award. It has only happened once this century, Jimmer Fredette in 2010-11 for the then-Mountain West affiliated BYU Cougars. And Jimmer-mainia was a true phenomenon.
Depending on how you classify the old A10 pre-conference realignment, there have been two. Jameer Nelson won it during St. Joe’s undefeated regular season in 2003-04 (which gives some credence to another candidate we will discuss later).
Creighton had already moved onto the Big East when Doug McDermott took home the trophy in 2014.
Add in the fact that Zion Williamson is a full-blown sports (not just college basketball) sensation for the first Duke team that has lived up to the preseason hype in a while, and it is obvious that Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura faces an uphill battle to be named the National Player of the Year.
But man, Hachimura has done just about everything he can to make himself the frontrunner so far this season. He just picked the wrong year to do it in.
The junior forward is leading the Bulldogs 21.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game so far this season. Gonzaga would be the No. 1-ranked team in the country if not for a two-game swoon against a pair of Top-15 opponents (Tennessee and UNC) in mid-December despite Killian Tillie being out.
Hachimura’s 20-7-5-3 performance in Gonzaga’s win that gave Duke it’s only loss of the season so far was dominant down the stretch.
He may not win the award for reasons out of his control, but Hachimura is going to make a strong run at the Naismith Trophy.