NCAA Basketball: Ranking the last 25 AP Player of the Year award winners

One half of the two-headed monster backcourt that led St. Joseph’s Hawks to a No. 1 seed in the 2004 NCAA Tournament, Jameer Nelson is one of the relatively rare mid-major stars to earn himself an AP Player of the Year recognition.

Because of the relative ease with which mid-major players put up big numbers and the lack of coverage they receive, it is difficult for them to gain much more than a token All-American spot.

This was not the case for Nelson, who helped put St. Joseph’s back on the map after three losing seasons. As a senior, he led the Hawks to an incredible 27-0 regular season, the top spot in the AP Poll heading into the postseason and a historic Elite Eight run.

Nelson was the lifeblood of the Hawks’ season, playing well with teammate Delonte West and finishing as the team leader in points, assists and steals. He also managed to collect the third-most rebounds, despite being the shortest player on the team.

Another efficient player, Nelson shot over 47 percent from the floor, had a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio and had nearly as many steals as turnovers. West was also an efficient guard. Together, they helped make St. Joseph’s one of the better offenses, despite the lack of scoring depth.

Nationally, Nelson did not lead the nation in any individual category, but it was his importance to St. Joseph’s perfect regular season that rightfully earned him the AP Player of the Year award. Likewise, his ability to carry such a small school to national prominence pushes him into the top 20 on this list.