NCAA Basketball: Top 25 Player of the Year candidates for 2023-24 season

12. Dalton Knecht - Tennessee Volunteers

2023-24 season stats: 15.1 ppg and 4.1 rpg

The Northern Colorado transfer had an incredible start to the season, averaging over 20 ppg through the first nine games, including a 37-point effort against North Carolina. Knecht’s stock has dipped in the past couple of weeks, scoring eight points or fewer in 4 of the last 5 games. Still, he’s the star of a top-5 Tennessee squad that’s a favorite to win the SEC.

11. Jaedon LeDee - San Diego State Aztecs

2023-24 season stats: 21.4 ppg and 8.7 rpg

After losing a lot of talent from last season, the question of who’d be the new star of the Aztecs was quickly answered by LeDee’s emergence. The senior big man has nine games of 20+ points, including 34 points and 17 rebounds in a win over Washington. In their biggest win of the year, LeDee went for 20 points in a road win over Gonzaga.

10. Kyle Filipowski - Duke Blue Devils

2023-24 season stats: 16.8 ppg and 8.4 rpg

A couple of down games in ACC play have dented the sophomore big man’s numbers but Filipowski has put up some big performances to warrant the All-American aspirations. He went for 25 points and eight rebounds against Arizona, along with a season-high 28 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Hofstra. Filipowski has also improved his defense at the five-spot, including a five-block game against Queens.