Wooden Watch: Ranking the Top 25 Candidates at Week 17

Could college basketball get any crazier than this!

Top-ranked teams go down every single week and the rankings are shuffled over and over again.

Who is still in the running for the coveted national player of the year award?

Let's take a quick look at the players who make up the Top 25 Wooden Award Finalists and see how they rank in comparison with each other at Week 17.

Stats provided by ESPN.com.

Editor's Note: The Wooden Award Finalists were released midseason, on January 10.

25. Laurence Bowers (Missouri)

It's great to see Laurence Bowers playing again at such a high level.

After missing last season because of injury, Bowers' versatility is key to Missouri's attack.

His 14.1 points and 6.1 rebounds anchor the Tigers output.

24. Brandon Paul (Illinois)

As Brandon Paul goes, so goes the Fighting Illini.

The 6'4" guard is a dynamic slasher in the open court.

His 16.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game averages just begin to tell the story about Paul's value to Illinois' season.

23. Jack Cooley (Notre Dame)

Jack Cooley is one of the top offensive rebounders in college basketball.

The 6’9” power forward averages over four offensive boards per game.

Because of his uncommon work ethic, Cooley is a double-double machine.  

22. Seth Curry (Duke)

As a Duke senior, Seth Curry is finally getting to show his true shooting and scoring ability.

The 6’2” guard is averaging 16.8 points and shooting 43.7 percent from beyond the arc.

If Curry blows up during March Madness, the Blue Devils could win it all.  

21. Anthony Bennett (UNLV)

Anthony Bennett is one of the most multi-talented power forwards in college basketball.

Bennett has done most of the heavy lifting for the Rebels this season.

Averaging 17 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, he gives UNLV a chance against any opponent.

20. Erick Green (Virginia Tech)

Erick Green is the nation’s leading scorer, dropping in 24.9 points per game.

The fact that he also grabs 4 boards and dishes out 4 assists shows that he is not a one-trick Hokie.

Green has only been held under 20 points in three games this season.

Nice!

19. Pierre Jackson (Baylor)

Pierre Jackson is one of the best scoring point guards in the country.

The 5’10" mighty-mite leads the Big 12 in scoring with 19.1 points per game.

But it’s equally impressive that Jackson also sets the conference standard in assists, averaging 6.4 assists per game.

18. Russ Smith (Louisville)

Russ Smith is the Big East No. 2 scorer (18.4 points per game).

Smith’s offensive focus is a valuable asset on a Louisville team that, at times, struggles to find someone to put points on the board.

Smith gets to the rim and to the line like few guards in the country.

17. Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati)

Sean Kilpatrick is a physical wing that plays as aggressively as any other shooting guard in the country.

He is averaging 17.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

When Kilpatrick gets going, the Bearcats can compete with anyone in the Big East and beyond.

16. Michael Carter-Williams (Syracuse)

Michael Carter-Williams is a matchup nightmare at the point.

At 6’6”, few point guards can matchup with MCW’s length.

He is currently No. 2 in the nation in assists (7.9 per game).

15. C.J. McCollum (Lehigh)

C.J. McCollum would be in the middle of the national scoring race if he had not broke his foot in the 12th game of the season.

He was averaging 23.9 points, 5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

14. Phil Pressey (Missouri)

Phil Pressey leads the SEC in assists (7.0 per game).

But, he is more than just a pass-first point guard. Pressey can do whatever Mizzou needs to win.

The 5’11” junior is putting up 12.4 points and grabs 3.2 rebounds per game.

13. Nate Wolters (South Dakota State)

Just because you haven’t seen Nate Wolters play, doesn’t mean that he is not awesome.

The 6’4” guard’s stat line (22.9 points, 5.6 boards and 5.5 assists) is impressive regardless what conference he plays in.

In February, Wolters dropped 53 on IPFW.

Impressive!

12. Elias Harris (Gonzaga)

Elias Harris makes up one part of what could be the best frontcourts in college basketball.

Harris is a player that brings it every night, rarely taking a bad shot or making a mental mistake.

His on-court leadership may be as important to the Zags’s success as his 14.5 points and 7.4 rebounds.

11. Deshaun Thomas (Ohio State)

If you need a bucket, putting the ball in Deshaun Thomas’ capable hands is a good idea.

Thomas leads the Big Ten in scoring with 19.9 points per game.

He is the kind of player that could carry Ohio State all the way to Atlanta.

10. Jeff Withey

Jeff Withey is a strong contender for national defensive player of the year.

He is No. 3 in blocked shots (3.8 blocks per gme) and is a skillful rebounder (8.5 rebounds per game).

Scoring over thirteen points a night, Withey’s offensive production has taken a big step forward in his senior season.

9. Isaiah Canaan (Murray State)

Murray State’s Isaiah Canaan is a Top-10 scorer (21.2 points per game) again this season.

More than an elite-level scorer, Canaan’s all-around play has put the Racers’ at the top of the OVC.

The 6’1” combo guard also averages 3.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

8. Otto Porter Jr. (Georgetown)

Otto Porter, Jr.  is one of the best all-around players in college basketball.

Everyone on the floor for Georgetown benefits when the 6’8” sophomore is on the court.

Porter averages 16.1 points, 7.6 boards and 2.5 assists for the surging Hoyas.

7. Jamaal Franklin (San Diego State)

Nobody does what Jamaal Franklin does for the Aztecs.

Franklin leads SDSU in every statistical category.

The 6'6" shooting guard is an absolute menace to anyone who dares to go head-to-head with him.

6. Ben McLemore (Kansas)

Ben McLemore may be the best pure shooter in college basketball.

Whether he is putting it up from the floor, the line or beyond the arc, McLemore can hit shots like few others in the game.

McLemore doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves for his work on the boards (5.4 rebounds per game).

5. Mason Plumlee (Duke)

Mason Plumlee may be the most improved player in college basketball.

He has been a one-man frontcourt for the Blue Devils for more than half of the 2012-13 season.

Plumlee has put up 15 double-doubles on his way to averaging 17.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

4. Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State)

Marcus Smart can do it all.

Scoring. Playmaking. Defense. Rebounding.

As a 6’4” freshman point guard, Smart uses his superior physicality to get so many things done for the Cowboys.

3. Doug McDermott (Creighton)

Doug McDermott is an amazing combination of size and skill.

The 6’8 combo forward is currently No. 4 in the nation in scoring (22.8 points per game).

McDermott is shooting 54.9 percent from the floor and 47.2 percent from beyond the arc.

2. Cody Zeller (Indiana)

Even before the 2012-13 season opened, Cody Zeller was recognized as one of the top players in college basketball.

He has not disappointed, as he brings quality frontcourt play to the Hoosiers lineup.

“The Big Handsome” averages 16.3 points and 8.1 boards per game.

1. Trey Burke (Michigan)

As of Week 17, Trey Burke is the best player in college basketball.

The 6’0” point guard is the nation’s best combination of scorer (18.8 points per game) and playmaker (leads the Big Ten in assists—6.9 APG).

Burke’s decision to return to Ann Arbor this season is a big reason why the Wolverines are a 2013 Final Four contender.