The Wooden Award is the highest honor a single player can get, and it is given to the most outstanding player in college basketball. Recent college stars like Doug McDermott, Trey Burke, and Anthony Davis have won the award. The race for this year’s Wooden winner is still somewhat open, with a lot of time for the board to change. Nevertheless, here are my rankings:
- Frank Kaminsky- Senior, C, Wisconsin
17.5 points per game, 8.4 rebounds per game, 34.5 PER, 6.3 WS
Frank Kaminsky gets the top spot here because of his versatility. Wisconsin gives their players a lot of freedom on offense, and Kaminsky uses that to his advantage. His defense is much improved, also. The Badgers relatively slow pace doesn’t help his per game averages.
- D’Angelo Russell- Freshman, G, Ohio State
19.1 points per game, 5.5 assists per game, 5.1 rebounds per game, 28.7 PER, 5.9 WS
Russell has been the most surprising freshman of the season, and he has led Ohio State as a player and as a teammate. He makes his teammates better. He can score at will, but his passing ability is the most impressive attribute. I even had to include that he has grabbed 5.1 rebounds per game, a number that is good for most forwards. He had lifted Ohio State in a tremendous way.
- Jahlil Okafor- Freshman, C, Duke
17.9 points per game, 9.4 rebounds per game, 31.1 PER, 4.8 WS
Jahlil Okafor has been tough to deal with in the post this season and has showed us why he is a perennial first overall pick. His footwork is beautiful, as is his passing out of double teams. His only weakness is a key one, and it is his defense. He can be slow or unaware, and he is not a great rim protector. He does get a ton of rebounds, though.
- Jerian Grant- Senior, G, Notre Dame
17.3 points per game, 6.4 assists per game, 27.9 PER, 6.0 WS
Jerian Grant has been one of my favorite players to watch this season, especially the way he has led his Fighting Irish team to top ten status. Grant has been great with the ball in his hands, scoring and dishing, and helping his team pick up wins. He is comfortable in the pick and roll, something that gave Duke (and Okafor) a lot of trouble in a Notre Dame win.
- Delon Wright- Sophomore, G, Utah
14.1 points per game, 5.4 assists per game, 29.2 PER, 6.1 WS
Delon Wright has gotten a lot more help from other players this year at Utah, but it is because of Wright that the Utah Utes are succeeding so mightily this year. His ability to slither into the lane and attack the basket has opened up shots for his teammates, who are hitting threes like it’s their job (it pretty much is). His defense has been superb this year with a 84.2 Defensive Rating this season.
- Montrezl Harrell- Junior, F, Louisville
15.4 points per game, 9.4 rebounds per game, 25.3 PER, 4.8 WS
Harrell has had a pretty good season considering what he is dealing with at Louisville. The energetic forward has been the Cardinals most consistent player on a team with little to no depth. He plays 33.8 minutes per game, and he plays them all like their his last. He is a man among boys, but has been bottled up a little because teams really don’t have to worry about any other players except for Terry Rozier.
- Seth Tuttle- Senior, F, Northern Iowa
16.0 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game, 32.5 PER, 6.0 WS
Seth Tuttle has been a little under the radar this season, but after Northern Iowa’s game against Wichita State, in which they dismantled the Shockers, much of the nation started recognizing Tuttle. He’s extremely versatile, he assists on 30% of UNI’s points and is a great leader. He’s making 65% of his shots from the field, also. The most important thing to do is watch one of the Panthers’ games; he does more than stats show.
- Bobby Portis- Sophomore, F, Arkansas
17.6 points per game, 8.7 rebounds per game, 30.4 PER, 4.8 WS
Bobby Portis has revealed himself to the country this season and shown that he is an absolute monster. He has grabbed 16.8% of available rebounds this year and has made 56% of his field goal attempts. Portis gives a lot of energy to the Razorbacks. Knocking off Kentucky on February 28th could lift Portis into top five talk.
- Kyle Wiltjer- Junior, F, Gonzaga
17.4 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game, 33.1 PER, 6.0 WS
Yes, this is the same Kyle Wiltjer that transferred from Kentucky. After you get that out of the way, it is easy to see why Wiltjer was highly recruited in the first place. He plays within himself and patiently. He stretches the floor for Mark Few’s team, hitting 46% of his threes. He is not flashy at all, but solid. He had 45 points on Thursday night.
- Terry Rozier- Sophomore, G, Louisville
18.0 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, 24.4 PER, 4.9 WS
Rozier is much like teammate Harrell. He has had to lead a team without many other playmakers, and that has hurt his numbers a bit. He is still scoring a lot of points, but at a less efficient rate, and his assists numbers are low because no one else can convert shots. His defense makes up for everything, though. He’s one of the best on-ball defensive guards in the country.
All statistics via sportsreference.com
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