NCAA Basketball: Predicting the 2023-24 Player of the Year in each conference

Conference USA: Isaiah Crawford (Louisiana Tech)

Current Averages: 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists

The Bulldogs have been through it over Crawford’s tenure in Rustin. They have been picked to win the Conference USA a few times only to come up short. Louisiana Tech has experienced a coaching change and Crawford has stuck it out and it is paying off for him. The guard is experiencing his best overall season and has been putting up huge numbers as the leader of the Bulldogs. In Conference USA play he is averaging 20 points per game, shooting over 50% from the floor, and blocking almost 3 shots per game add those numbers to the 2 steals per game and you have the best offensive player and one of the best defensive players in the league.

Horizon League: Noah Reynolds (Green Bay)

Current Averages: 19.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists

Green Bay was one of the worst teams in the country a season ago. The school decided to hire Sundance Wicks to turn the program around. One of his first recruits was Reynolds who he got from the transfer portal from Wyoming. Reynolds has been the catalyst of the turnaround and he does everything for the Phoenix. When he is not scoring, he still impacts a game with his ability to rebound, set up the offense for the Phoenix and plays good defense. Reynolds might be the most important player in the Horizon League. He is the one player who Green Bay would have a hard time replacing. He is shooting over 50% from the floor, 35% from deep and gets to the line a ton. If the Phoenix win the Horizon League tournament and make the NCAA tournament, then it will just add on to one of the best 1 year turnarounds in the sport.

Ivy League: Xaivian Lee (Princeton)

Current Averages: 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists

I don’t know if Lee will win the Player of the Year, but he should. He is the leader of the best team in the Ivy League. I know that Princeton lost to Cornell recently, but the Tigers are still the best team in the league. Lee is the one guy in the league who pops out the instant you watch him. He can score from all over the floor and plays the point guard position better than any player in the Ivy League. He is a great rebounder for his size and sets up the offense while rarely turning the ball over. Lee has the ability to know when to pass the ball and when to hunt for his shots and that has helped Princeton turn into the best team in the Ivy. Most of us have likely never watched him play because Ivy basketball is rarely on TV but the Canadian guard is a special talent.