Zach Edey Headlines 2023 Men's College Player of the Year Semifinalists

Purdue center Zach Edey was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy for Men's Player of the Year.

The junior already won the Big Ten Player of the Year for 2022-23, and he's a favorite to win the national award as well after an outstanding regular season. There could still be some challengers as the year comes to a close, including from conference rival Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Here are the semifinalists announced on Friday:

• Zach Edey, Purdue
• Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
• Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
• Keyontae Johnson, Kansas State
• Tyler Kolek, Marquette
• Brandon Miller, Alabama
• Marcus Sasser, Houston
• Drew Timme, Gonzaga
• Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona
• Jalen Wilson, Kansas

The finalists will be announced on March 21, with the trophy awarded on April 2 during the Final Four.

Edey is a name to watch after averaging 21.9 points per game—most among power-conference players—while ranking third in the country with 12.8 rebounds per game. The 7'4" center has been unstoppable on both ends of the floor, helping Purdue become a legitimate title contender this season.

Jackson-Davis has been nearly as dominant for Indiana, averaging 20.5 points, 11 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game.

The forward is one of five seniors listed among the semifinalists, joining four juniors and just one freshman in an experienced group of players.

Marcus Sasser is one of those seniors as the leading scorer for the No. 1 team in the Associated Press poll. After a toe injury cut his season short in 2021-22, the guard has bounced back as a key player for a team that finished the regular season with a 29-2 record.

Big 12 Player of the Year Jalen Wilson played a secondary role on Kansas' national title team last season, but he's stepped into the spotlight this year with an average of 19.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

Pac-12 stars Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Azuolas Tubelis also earned recognition for their strong showings this season as they try to make a deep run in March.

One notable absence from the list is last year's Naismith Trophy winner Oscar Tshiebwe. The Kentucky forward is averaging 16.4 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, but an up-and-down year from the Wildcats took the senior out of the spotlight.