NCAA Basketball: Top 10 rankings for 2022-23 National Player of the Year

6. Marcus Sasser – Houston Cougars

2022-23 stats: 15.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.0 apg

After missing most of last season due to injury, Sasser is back and picking up where he left off. He’s been in double figures in all but two games, with three at 20+ points. That includes a 25-point performance against Norfolk State, as well as 13 points in 39 minutes at Virginia, which is the best win of the season for Houston.

Sasser’s numbers and efficiency have been down for Houston but to some degree, it’s not a big surprise. There are 10 main rotation players, with eight averaging at least 6.0 ppg. The team also has Tramon Mark back, who was also out with an injury a year ago. He’s second on the team with 10.1 ppg. Freshman Jarace Walker has been a factor in his first year, while point guard Jamal Shead still leads the team in assists (5.3 apg) but still is capable of being the top scorer every once in a while.

The biggest case to make for Sasser is that he’s most likely to go unscathed in the next couple of months. Houston’s set to be No. 1 in the next AP poll and will be a heavy favorite in every game the rest of the season outside of at Memphis. If they go unbeaten and finish with just one loss on the schedule, Sasser, who’ll average around 16 ppg, should be in contention.