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

Missouri Valley: Tucker DeVries (Drake)

Current Averages: 20.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists

This one was easy. DeVries has been the favorite to win the Valley Player of the Year since the offseason. The guard is playing for his dad and the game seems to come easy to him. He is one of the best scorers and pure shooters in the country. DeVries is always a threat to put up huge numbers on the offensive end of the floor. This year the guard is playing more with the ball in his hands and has taken over facilitation of the offense.

Everything goes through him on the offensive end, and he makes things happen. The guard has always been a guy who is going to take a high volume of shots, but he makes 46% of them and very rarely has an off night. Anyone who watches Drake is going to know who DeVries is as soon as the game starts. This race likely won’t be close.

Mountain West: Isaiah Stevens (Colorado State)

Current Averages: 16.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists

There are a lot of guys who could be predicted to win the Player of the Year in the Mountain West but only two guys have a reasonable shot in my opinion. Stevens and Jaedon LeDee from San Diego State are the two that are going to be talked about the most. Stevens is the best point guard in the country and is currently having his best season he has ever had in college and is doing it with the worst supporting cast he has had in his time at Colorado State.

The guard is currently on pace for his best offensive season and is extremely efficient. He is shooting almost 50% from the field and 44% from deep. When you add his offensive ability with his 7.4 assists to only 2.4 turnovers makes him one of the most valuable players in the entire country.

Northeast: Jordan Derkack (Merrimack)

Current Averages: 17.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists

There are not many guys who can dominate a game in the Northeast conference quite like Derkack. He can beat teams by himself and he does it in a way that many others don’t. The sophomore guard is great at getting to the rim and converting for easy baskets. He lives at the foul line and doesn’t shoot the ball from deep at all. He can make an occasional three but that is not where he does his damage.

That is different from almost every guard in today’s game. Merrimack is one of the best defensive teams in the country and if you want to play for them you will have to commit on the defensive end. Derkack averages almost 3 steals per game and can get his team out in transition for easy baskets.