NCAA Basketball: Top 25 Player of the Year candidates in 2021-22 season

The 2021-22 NCAA Basketball has seen plenty of starpower, even more than originally expected. There have been many players who have become breakout sophomores or juniors, or freshmen that have either player up to or even passed expectations. And there are some transfers that have blown up at their new respective location.

This piece will take a look at 25 players that have had the biggest impact on the NCAA Basketball effectively midway through. I wanted to look at what they have accomplished to this point in terms of marquee victories, team accomplishments and individual performances up through January 12th.

There’s naturally going to be a lean towards power conference players but I wanted to take note of a few mid-major stars that have also had a gigantic impact. The hardest part of the ranking was the slotting that involved teams with multiple players that are in consideration such as Duke and Gonzaga, which ultimately affected them each.

Here’s a look at my current standings of the top players in the country.

25. Hyunjung Lee – Davidson Wildcats

2021-22 season stats: 17.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.2 apg

Along with a massive win over Alabama in an impromptu matchup before Christmas, Davidson is also 3-0 in the Atlantic 10 and viewed as the clear-cut favorite in the conference and at-large contender. They’re led by star junior Lee, a 6’7 wing that leads the Wildcats in scoring and shoots over 50% from the field and 42% from three-point range.

Lee has scored in double figures every game this season, including a career-high 32 points and 14 rebounds against Charlotte. Despite losing 4-year starter Kellan Grady last offseason, Davidson has not only remained in the top-tier of the conference but somehow has gotten even better. Don’t be surprised if Lee gets plenty of NBA interest after the season.