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

6. Hunter Dickinson - Kansas Jayhawks

2023-24 season stats: 19.4 ppg and 12.4 rpg

The All-American big man is having the same kind of high-level impact that he did back at Michigan. He already has a pair of 20+ rebound games, including a 27-point and 20-rebound game against Kentucky. He most recently dropped 30 points in his first Big 12 game, beating TCU at home. The only reason why he isn’t higher is that there’s another Jayhawk who should be higher.

5. Caleb Love - Arizona Wildcats

2023-24 season stats: 17.7 ppg and 3.1 apg

The change of scenery has been perfect for the former UNC guard, leading Arizona in scoring on career-high shooting splits. The senior guard had seven of his 15 games with at least 20 points, including 29 against Purdue and 23 points, six rebounds, and six assists in a win over Utah. Love is a clear favorite for Pac-12 Player of the Year and will be battling a former teammate for All-American honors.

4. Tristen Newton - UConn Huskies

2023-24 season stats: 15.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.7 apg

Outside of a random 0-point game against DePaul, the senior guard has been excellent in just about every game this season. Newton dropped a triple-double against Manhattan, along with a 31-point outing versus Kansas on the road. With center Donovan Clingan dealing with injuries, Newton has stepped up as the star of the Huskies.