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NCAA Basketball: New leaders emerge in 2019-20 National Player of the Year race

By Brian Rauf

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 15: Myles Powell #13 of the Seton Hall Pirates posts up against the Butler Bulldogs in the first half of the game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on January 15, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 15: Myles Powell #13 of the Seton Hall Pirates posts up against the Butler Bulldogs in the first half of the game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on January 15, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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NCAA Basketball
DAYTON, OHIO – JANUARY 14: Obi Toppin #1 of the Dayton Flyers (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Another week of high-profile games as changed the landscape of the NCAA Basketball Player of the Year race. There are new leaders in our latest rankings.

NCAA Basketball is starting to take center stage in the sports world following the conclusion of the college football season on Monday and with the NFL winding down (there are only three real football games between now and August, let’s all cry together).

At the same time, the nation’s best players are starting to separate themselves. While we’ve been ranking the top 10 National Player of the Year contenders throughout the season, we’ll start trimming the list as the true contenders start to emerge. We’re already seeing a bit of that, but the race is still very wide open.

Here are the top 10 candidates in the National Player of the Year race with less than two months to go until Selection Sunday:

player. 541. . . Previous: . Filip Petrusev. 10

Stats: 16.7 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.2 bpg

Petrusev is largely in the race because he’s the best player on the nation’s No. 1 team, which certainly is no small feat given Gonzaga’s talent level. The big man has started every game this season and has emerged as a leader and go-to offensive threat.

The Zags obviously have to keep winning if Petrusev is going to continue to stay in this race, and he needs to put up some gaudy stat lines if he wants to rise up the list. He has shown he can dominate on multiple occasions (his 22-point, 15-rebound performance against Oregon immediately comes to mind) and needs to do so more consistently.

. . Previous: 9th. Luka Garza. 9. player. 483

Stats: 22.3 ppg, 10.4 rpg

Another dominant big man, Luka Garza holds firm in the No. 9 spot after playing well in victories over Maryland and Northwestern this week. The win over the Wildcats was a given considering their struggles, but it also happened to be Garza’s worst game on the glass this season (only three rebounds).

The 6-11, 245-pounder was dominant in that area earlier in the week against Maryland, a game in which he put up 21 points and 13 rebounds in the upset, yet he was overshadowed by Joe Wieskamp’s huge game. Garza’s performances were good enough to hold serve but not move him up the list.

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