NCAA Basketball: Powell, Garza lead National Player of the Year Power Rankings

Stats: 16.6 ppg, 5.0 apg, 3.7 rpg

San Diego State is the nation’s last undefeated team and their best player, Malachi Flynn, deserves any and all recognition he is getting.

While the Aztecs have had their success because of how good they are as a team (they rank eighth nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency and have four players averaging at least 9.7 points per game), there’s no denying that Flynn has been the biggest driving force behind this success.

The Washington State transfer does a bit of everything for the Aztecs, leading them in points, assists, and steals. His assist rate and offensive rating both rank in the top 100 nationally and he has five games with at least 20 points.

His leadership is invaluable and his full array of skills was on display Tuesday. Flynn had 18 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four steals in a 72-55 win over Wyoming – all while he was dealing with food poisoning. Yet, head coach Brian Dutcher said after the game he had no thoughts of taking Flynn out.

"“He still hadn’t eaten anything, but then he was able to play and he looked great to me. Sometimes as a coach you know what guys are going to push through, and he was definitely one I wasn’t concerned about. I knew if there was any way he could go, he would play and play at a high level.”"

In terms of his Player of the Year potential, Flynn’s rise has been heavily tied to San Diego State’s undefeated start. The longer they go without a loss, the more serious of a contender he’ll become. But, for right now, he’s still a step behind the top four.