Updated Rankings for College Basketball's Player of the Year in 2014-15 Season

Roughly a dozen college basketball players are making a strong case for why they should finish second to Jahlil Okafor in the various 2014-15 Player of the Year votes.

Many have argued throughout the season that Kentucky is going to win the national championship and that everyone else is playing for silver. The race for best individual player in the country is starting to feel the same way with everyone looking up at the hands-down No. 1 NBA prospect.

It isn't quite the foregone conclusion that it was for Creighton's Doug McDermott by the time the 2013-14 season ended, but it's certainly headed in that direction.

Just beyond Okafor are usual suspects like Frank Kaminsky, Montrezl Harrell and Jerian Grant, but why aren't more people talking about Delon Wright? And just how close are fellow freshmen D'Angelo Russell and Melo Trimble to Okafor's throne?

Per usual, we've ranked the top 20 players in the country while also including quite a few honorable mentions who are just barely on the outside looking in.

In lieu of an actual formula, players are ranked by a theoretical and anecdotal "wins above replacement." How much worse would the player's team be if forced to start his backup, and how much better are his team's chances of making a deep tournament run because of him?

Strong per-game and per-40 minutes numbers are a great start and a good way to get noticed, but we're looking for the most valuable players more than the most statistical ones.

Playing for a Final Four contender isn't required to be ranked, but it definitely helps. Of the top 12 players in our rankings, 11 play for teams that can be found in the latest AP Top 25—and Robert Upshaw has been something really special for Washington to be the exception to that rule.

Dropped from rankings (previous rank): Tyrone Wallace, California (12); Kennedy Meeks, North Carolina (15); Rayvonte Rice, Illinois (17—due to injury); Wesley Saunders, Harvard (20)

Honorable Mentions

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There are considerably more honorable mentions than last time, but we're committed to saying less about them. Here's one sentence on each of the 15 guys closest to making the cut, presented in alphabetical order by last name.

Sterling Gibbs, Seton Hall: The Pirates have not only survived but thrived without Isaiah Whitehead, and Gibbs is the reason.

Aaron Harrison, Kentucky: He's been anything other than consistent thus far, but the Wildcats would have a one in the loss column if not for his 26 points against Ole Miss on Tuesday.

Tyler Harvey, Eastern Washington: Leading the nation in scoring and shooting 50.0 percent from three-point range, Harvey would have been No. 21 if the list went that deep.

LaDontae Henton, Providence: The Friars could have fallen apart after losing Bryce Cotton and Kadeem Batts from last year's team, but they might be even better with Henton leading the way.

Tyus Jones, Duke: Arguably the best freshman point guard in the country, Jones has steered Duke's ship admirably to 13 consecutive wins by double digits.

Kennedy Meeks, North Carolina: He is easily the most valuable Tar Heel, but how much weight does that carry after four losses?

Bobby Portis, Arkansas: The Razorbacks are having their best season in two decades, and Portis is leading the way in both points and rebounds.

Terry Rozier, Louisville: Montrezl Harrell gets all the love, but Rozier has done one helluva job replacing Russ Smith by leading the Cardinals in scoring while playing outstanding defense.

Wesley Saunders, Harvard: Pretty much the only player Harvard can brag about at the moment, and he hasn't eclipsed 15 points in a game in more than a month.

Juwan Staten, West Virginia: WVU is having an outstanding season, but Staten's numbers are down from last year, and he might not even be the most valuable Mountaineer—we see you, Jonathan Holton.

Tyrone Wallace, California: Love us some Ty-Wall, but if you can't keep your team from losing home games to Washington State and something called CSU Bakersfield, you don't belong in the Player of the Year discussion.

Aaron White, Iowa: More than a little underappreciated, White is averaging 21.3 points and 9.0 rebounds over his last three games.

Alan Williams, UC Santa Barbara: This might be the best season of his outstanding career, but the Gauchos already have seven losses.

Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga: Undeniably the best player for the Bulldogs, Wiltjer hasn't been anywhere near as dominant in WCC play as we expected.

Joseph Young, Oregon: He struggled to hit shots early in the year, but he has been on fire lately for an Oregon team that is somewhat surprisingly 11-3 to start the season.

20. Brad Waldow, Saint Mary's

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By the Numbers: 20.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.5 APG

Best Game: 28 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, one steal vs. UC Irvine

Previous Rank: NR

Why He's Here 

Entering play on Monday, 25 players were averaging at least 19.5 PPG, and another 25 were averaging at least 9.5 RPG.

Brad Waldow was the only player in the country in both of those groups.

The big man for Saint Mary's has recorded double-doubles in 10 of his 15 games. He has yet to record fewer than 11 points or six rebounds in any game.

Unlike most big men, foul trouble isn't even a concern for Waldow. He played at least 35 minutes in 10 consecutive games without recording more than three fouls in any of them.

It's unlikely that Saint Mary's will make the NCAA tournament without one heck of a strong showing in West Coast Conference play, but that shouldn't take away from the yeoman's work that Waldow has been doing in the paint for the Gaels all season long.

19. Briante Weber, VCU

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By the Numbers: 7.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, 4.1 SPG, 3.8 RPG

Best Game: 18 points, nine steals, eight rebounds, seven assists vs. Toledo

Previous Rank: NR

Why He's Here 

The patron saint of stolen passes, Briante Weber has been incredible in helping steer VCU back into the AP Top 25 this week.

He doesn't always get involved in the scoring, but Weber has at least three assists in all but one game this season and has recorded at least five steals in five different games, including four of the last seven.

Watching him at work on defense is such a delight. As a spectator, your eyes can't help but fixate on him as he either pressures the ball-handler or lurks in the obstructed view of said ball-handler, waiting to jump into the passing lane for a fast-break bucket.

Unlike in football where a team can essentially choose not to challenge a great defensive back, opposing teams have little choice but to fail in their attempts to keep the ball out of the reach of Weber.

He led the nation in steal percentage in each of the last three seasons and is on his way to making it four out of four.

18. Georges Niang, Iowa State

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By the Numbers: 15.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.8 APG

Best Game: 26 points, eight assists, six rebounds vs. Arkansas

Previous Rank: 7

Why He's Here 

The overall numbers still look strong, but Georges Niang has been a ghost in recent weeks.

Over his last four games against Drake, Mississippi Valley State, South Carolina and Oklahoma State—not exactly title contenders—Niang has averaged 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

The Cyclones didn't really need him in the first two games, but they desperately needed more from him in the loss to the Gamecocks. His poor shooting and turnovers against Oklahoma State are largely to blame for their narrow, low-scoring 63-61 win.

Between those two games, Niang attempted 25 shots but has more turnovers (nine) than made field goals (six).

Through his first 13 games, he already has seven games in which he scored 10 or fewer points. Iowa State has a well-rounded offense, but for someone who doesn't much contribute in the way of steals or blocks, that's unacceptable.

It was tempting to drop him out of the top 20 altogether, but we'll give him another two weeks to right the ship.

17. Stanley Johnson, Arizona

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By the Numbers: 14.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.7 SPG

Best Game: 18 points, nine rebounds, three steals, one block, one assist vs. San Diego State

Previous Rank: 18

Why He's Here 

Stanley Johnson has been Mr. Automatic.

That isn't to say he's shooting 100 percent from the field or the free-throw line, but it's just about a guarantee that he's going to finish within two standard deviations of his season averages on any given night.

Johnson has scored between 13 and 18 points in 10 of the last 11 games. The one exception came against Gonzaga when he decided to buck the trend by scoring 11. He has at least five rebounds in 10 consecutive games but has only once exceeded nine boards.

The only real variable has been turnovers. He's going to commit at least one per game, but there's no telling if he'll stop there or go for seven.

Either way, consistently tallying 14 points and seven rebounds per game remains impressive enough for a spot in our top 20.

16. Frank Mason III, Kansas

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By the Numbers: 12.4 PPG, 4.2 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.7 SPG

Best Game: 18 points, seven assists, four steals, four rebounds vs. UNLV

Previous Rank: 19

Why He's Here 

There are a lot of underappreciated players around the country, but somehow, one of the nation's most iconic programs is responsible for one of the most overlooked studs.

Most of Kansas' roster has been a vast sea of ebbs and flows. Perry Ellis has three games with five or fewer points. Wayne Selden Jr. oscillates between looking like a breakout star and like he's shooting while blindfolded. Kelly Oubre is hot now, but it took a full month for him to get a real shot. Cliff Alexander is still waiting for his chance.

But Frank Mason III has been a rock.

The sophomore point guard has at least 10 points in 10 straight games and has averaged 5.0 assists per game during that streak while also recording at least one steal in every game this season.

Most of the country has fixated on Kansas' struggles against Kentucky and Temple, but Mason is the biggest and most consistent reason the Jayhawks have won seven games versus RPI Top 100 teams. Few people are talking about Mason right now, but just wait until Kansas really starts to take aim at its 11th straight Big 12 title.

15. Kyle Collinsworth and Tyler Haws, BYU

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By the Numbers (Haws): 21.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.5 APG

By the Numbers (Collinsworth): 13.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 5.9 APG, 2.2 SPG

Best Game (Haws): 32 points, five rebounds, three blocks, two assists vs. Purdue

Best Game (Collinsworth): 19 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists vs. Hawaii

Previous Rank (Haws): 14

Previous Rank (Collinsworth): NR 

Why They're Here 

We can't possibly bring ourselves to omit either of these stat machines, but we also didn't want to waste two of our 20 spots on a pair of guys from one team nowhere near the AP Top 25.

So this is our compromise.

Despite an ankle injury that was originally supposed to sideline him for at least two weeks, Tyler Haws has played in every BYU game, scoring at least 13 points in all but one of them. He's no longer the nation's leading scorer, but he still comes in third.

Despite a torn ACL in March 2014, Kyle Collinsworth has inexplicably already recorded triple-doubles against Hawaii, Gonzaga and San Francisco. Surgically repaired knee or not, he is leading the Cougars in rebounds, assists and steals by wide margins. 

Eventually, one or the other will clearly emerge as the most important player on the team. Until then, sharing the No. 15 spot will have to suffice as a better option than both appearing in the honorable mentions.

14. Myles Turner, Texas

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By the Numbers: 11.2 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.7 BPG

Best Game: 26 points, nine rebounds, six blocks, one assist, one steal vs. Lipscomb

Previous Rank: 11

Why He's Here 

Myles Turner is finally starting to get the extra minutes that we had been wanting for weeks, but he hasn't exactly done much with them. In his last two games against Texas Tech and Oklahoma, he has averaged 8.6 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per 40 minutes.

Those aren't necessarily bad numbers, but they're nothing compared to the 20-plus points and more than five blocks he had been averaging per 40 minutes for the first six weeks of the season.

Do we have to go back to wondering if Turner simply doesn't have what it takes to compete against quality teams?

In Texas' eight games against teams outside the RPI Top 100, Turner is averaging 15.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.3 blocks in just 23.0 minutes per game. In seven games against RPI Top 100 teams, though, those numbers plummet to 6.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 20.7 minutes per game.

We obviously want to believe, but Turner better show us something in the next week against Oklahoma State and West Virginia.

13. Jordan Mickey, LSU

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By the Numbers: 16.3 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 3.6 BPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG

Best Game: 24 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks, three assists, two steals vs. Savannah State

Previous Rank: NR

Why He's Here 

Mea culpa for failing to even mention Jordan Mickey until now.

LSU's power forward entered play on Tuesday leading the SEC in blocks per game, second in rebounds per game and sixth in points per game. Nationally, he ranks third in blocks and 13th in rebounds.

He and Jarell Martin (18.2 PPG, 8.9 RPG) have been nothing short of indispensable for the Tigers during their current eight-game winning streak.

Had Mickey been more of a factor in the team's signature win over West Virginia (four points, six rebounds, one block), we probably would have made room for him in the top 10. Still, we're talking about a guy with eight double-doubles in 12 games and at least five blocks in each of his last four contests.

We're incessantly looking for the team that can beat Kentucky. If Mickey is able to keep doing what he has been doing, LSU just might give the Wildcats a run for their money on February 10.

12. Ron Baker, Wichita State

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By the Numbers: 16.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.2 SPG

Best Game: 23 points, six rebounds, four assists, one block, one steal vs. Drake

Previous Rank: 16

Why He's Here 

Wichita State's offense hasn't been quite as efficient as last season, but not for lack of trying by Ron Baker.

He had a rough week in the Diamond Head Classic. It took him 41 field-goal attempts to score 37 points as the Shockers struggled with Hawaii before losing to George Washington.

In the contiguous 48 states, though, Baker has averaged 1.48 points per field-goal attempt while shooting 46.9 percent from three-point range. Had he been that efficient in Honolulu, he'd be comfortably in our top 10, and Wichita State would likely still be in the AP Top 10.

So let's not penalize him too much for those struggles. After all, he has shot it well since returning to the Midwest. At home against Illinois State and on the road against Drake, Baker had a combined 38 points while shooting 65.2 percent from the field.

11. D'Angelo Harrison, St. John's

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By the Numbers: 20.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.3 SPG

Best Game: 31 points, five rebounds, three steals, two assists, one block vs. Butler

Previous Rank: 10

Why He's Here 

It has been a rough seven days for St. John's. The Red Storm have opened Big East play with three straight losses to Seton Hall, Butler and Villanova, but certainly not because of poor play by D'Angelo Harrison. He has scored at least 25 points in each of the three losses.

Rather, the defense—which ranked fourth in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency before the start of conference play—has been a complete disaster, allowing 80.3 points per game to those Big East foes.

Can the Johnnies turn things around before it's too late for Harrison's Player of the Year campaign?

He is 62 points away from reaching 2,000 in his career. Based on his scoring average, he'll either reach that plateau at the end of the game against Marquette on January 21 or at the beginning of the game against Duke a few days later.

Sean Kilpatrick's POY buzz picked up in earnest once he reached 2,000 career points last year for Cincinnati. If Harrison hits that mark during an impressive showing in an upset over Duke, you better believe the world will finally take notice of how great he has been.

10. Robert Upshaw, Washington

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By the Numbers: 11.1 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 4.6 BPG

Best Game: 11 points, 10 rebounds, six blocks vs. Tulane

Previous Rank: 8

Why He's Here 

Much like D'Angelo Harrison at St. John's, Robert Upshaw gets unfairly punished in these rankings for poor play by his teammates.

Washington is in the midst of a three-game losing streak, but you wouldn't know it from Upshaw's numbers. He has recorded a double-double in four of the last six games while also pushing his streak of games with at least two blocked shots to 11.

Upshaw has blocked at least four shots in seven of Washington's last eight games and is still leading the nation in block percentage, according to KenPom.com (subscription required).

He has been a one-man wrecking crew on defense, but instead of using that safety net to their advantage by aggressively trying to force steals, the Huskies have essentially decided they don't need to play defense at all because Upshaw will be there to save the day.

Washington has averaged just 3.4 steals per game over the past five games—a rate which would rank second-to-last in the country if maintained over the course of the entire season.

So don't blame Upshaw for Washington's recent string of losses. Rather, credit him for the fact that the Huskies even had a chance to win any of those games. They would have been blown out of the water on all three of those nights without him.

9. Justin Anderson, Virginia

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By the Numbers: 15.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 58.8 3P%

Best Game: 21 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one block vs. VCU

Previous Rank: 9

Why He's Here 

Justin Anderson is by far the biggest wild card/conundrum on the list.

He has been arguably the most important person for one of the three remaining undefeated teams. Anderson is also one of the most reliable three-point shooter in the country.

However, he's not exactly a volume shooter (3.9 three-point attempts per game) and doesn't do much else for the team.

We recognize that Virginia's pace doesn't afford him as many opportunities for secondary statistics as other players, but if you add together his rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game, you only get 7.2. That's 10 percent lower than the next-lowest player in our top 20—and at least Tyler Haws makes up for his 8.0 total by being one of the highest scorers in the country.

As long as Anderson keeps shooting the lights out for an undefeated team, he'll remain an excellent candidate for Player of the Year. But what if he shoots 1-of-7 against North Carolina State on Wednesday and Virginia suffers its first loss of the season? Does he even remotely remain in the conversation?

If Jahlil Okafor or Frank Kaminsky has one bad game, big deal. Maybe we drop him a spot or two. Because one bad game could almost completely remove Anderson from national attention, he was bypassed this week by a pair of outstanding freshmen.

8. Melo Trimble, Maryland

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By the Numbers: 16.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.3 SPG

Best Game: 31 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal vs. Arizona State

Previous Rank: NR

Why He's Here 

Three months ago, Maryland wasn't getting an ounce of respect from anyone.

Five key players had transferred away by the end of May, and a freshman (Trayvon Reed) was dismissed from the program in early August. Throw in Evan Smotrycz's fractured foot in mid-October, and it was a stretch to even suggest Maryland could finish in the top half of the Big Ten.

Dez Wells' injury just five games into the season was the icing on the cake. If the Terrapins had just rolled over and given up, no one would have blamed them.

Instead, they are 14-1 and ranked No. 11 in the nation because of a kid who needs to be mentioned far more often as a potential challenger to Jahlil Okafor for Freshman of the Year.

Melo Trimble has been phenomenal all season long. He has at least 11 points in 12 consecutive games and has recorded multiple assists in each of the last 11 contests. He is a smart, aggressive player who has attempted 121 free throws against 129 field goals.

Trimble has been a little turnover-prone lately, but that's such a minor complaint on an otherwise glowing midseason report card.

7. Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky

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By the Numbers: 9.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 1.9 BPG, 0.9 APG

Best Game: 21 points, 12 rebounds, five steals, three blocks vs. Texas

Previous Rank: 4

Why He's Here 

When all is said and done, someone from Kentucky will inevitably finish in the top five of the Wooden Award vote. That someone will likely be Willie Cauley-Stein.

However, his per-game numbers are substantially behind those of any other player in the top eight, and even his per-40 minutes numbers don't quite stack up with the nation's best.

Take a look at how he compares to the other big men in our top 10. These numbers are per 40 minutes and exclude Kentucky's game against Ole Miss on Tuesday.

• Cauley-Stein: 16.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 3.1 steals
• Robert Upshaw: 19.6 points, 13.5 rebounds, 7.4 blocks, 0.8 steals
• Montrezl Harrell: 20.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 1.3 steals
• Frank Kaminsky: 22.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 1.6 steals
• Jahlil Okafor: 27.0 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 1.2 steals

Not only is that a ringing endorsement for having Upshaw in the top 10, but it makes it difficult to argue that Cauley-Stein should be ranked any higher—unless you value steals above all else.

That defense, though, is absolutely what keeps Cauley-Stein in the running for Player of the Year. Seven-footers aren't supposed to have hands and feet as quick as his, but he's one of the best defenders in the country for it.

So long as he continues to anchor the defense for the undefeated Wildcats, he'll find his way back near the very top of the list.

6. D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State

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By the Numbers: 18.3 PPG, 5.1 APG, 4.4 RPG, 1.8 SPG

Best Game: 32 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one steal

Previous Rank: 13

Why He's Here 

Because we threw some shade at Myles Turner for struggling against quality opponents, it's only fair that we also note D'Angelo Russell's problem when facing good teams.

Excluding Tuesday night's game against Minnesota in which he had an absurd 25 first-half points, Russell has played four games against the RPI Top 75. In those games, he has shot 31.8 percent from the field and 22.6 percent from three-point range. Against everyone else, he is shooting 53.0 percent from the field and 54.2 percent from three-point range.

However, he still gets points and contributes in numerous other ways when his shot isn't falling. Russell has at least one steal in 15 of 16 games this season and at least 11 points in 15 games as well. He also has at least two rebounds and three assists in every game. 

He hasn't quite been the model for consistency that Stanley Johnson has been at Arizona, but you know for a fact that Russell is going to help lead the team in a variety of ways in every single game.

Really, one could argue that this freshman has been exactly what we were expecting North Carolina's Marcus Paige to be when he was named a preseason All-American.

If Ohio State can actually start beating quality opponents while getting back into the discussion for a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, look for Russell's POY campaign to gain some serious traction.

5. Jerian Grant, Notre Dame

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By the Numbers: 17.3 PPG, 6.3 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.5 SPG

Best Game: 27 points, six assists, four rebounds, three steals, one block vs. Michigan State

Previous Rank: 5

Why He's Here 

The most important piece on the best offense in the country, Jerian Grant has been so valuable that I couldn't help but draw comparisons between Grant and Doug McDermott in the aftermath of Monday's win over North Carolina.

Grant has been efficient, averaging 1.48 points per field-goal attempt and 3.9 assists per turnover. He isn't quite leading the nation in either of those categories, but according to Sports-Reference.com, he is leading the nation in win shares with 4.1 of them.

If Notre Dame beats Virginia this weekend and jumps comfortably into the AP Top 10, he will be in a three-horse race with Jahlil Okafor and Frank Kaminsky for Player of the Year.

Until then, though, he remains at No. 5 behind a quartet of players whose teams are already in the top 10.

Playing for a nationally accepted contender for the NCAA title isn't necessarily a prerequisite for a spot at the top of the rankings, but that's a bonus that Grant doesn't quite have yet.

4. Montrezl Harrell, Louisville

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By the Numbers: 16.7 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.1 BPG, 1.0 SPG

Best Game: 25 points, 13 rebounds, one block vs. Wake Forest

Previous Rank: 2

Why He's Here 

Montrezl Harrell dropped two spots in the past two weeks, but not because of anything he did wrong.

In fact, he had arguably his best game of the season over the weekend in a battle against Wake Forest that ended up being more of a challenge than most were expecting. Harrell not only scored more points than any other game since the season opener, but he hit two of three three-pointers in the process.

We'd selfishly love to see him focus more on angrily slamming the ball through the hoop instead of delicately throwing it in from 21 feet away, but it was good to see him actually make a few of the shots he has insisted on attempting all season long.

It was a nice beginning to his ACC career, but the biggest challenges still lie ahead.

Harrell has scored at least 12 points against every opponent other than Kentucky, but that game was his chance to prove he really belongs at the top of this list. Upcoming games against North Carolina, Duke and Virginia will give him a few more opportunities to make that case.

A double-double against Kennedy Meeks or Jahlil Okafor would mean a whole lot more than the ones he posted against UNC-Wilmington, Cleveland State and Florida International.

3. Delon Wright, Utah

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By the Numbers: 15.1 PPG, 5.6 APG, 4.9 RPG, 2.3 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Best Game: 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two blocks, one steal vs. Alabama State

Previous Rank: 6

Why He's Here 

Delon Wright was a popular sleeper pick for Player of the Year during the offseason, but there hasn't been a whole lot of chatter about him in the race since the season began.

It's time to change that.

Most of Wright's per-game numbers are slightly lower than last season, but that's largely because he is playing 4.8 fewer minutes per game.

If we instead look at his numbers per 40 minutes, it's easy to see that Wright has been more valuable this season while further embracing his role as a facilitator for a team that the AP is currently ranking as the ninth best in the nation.

There were a lot of ifs and buts surrounding Wright's preseason hype, and most of those involved Utah needing to be a legitimate tournament team in order for him to be considered a serious candidate for the Wooden Award.

Now that Utah is even better than any of us expected and Wright is playing more efficiently than last season, remind me why he doesn't at least belong in the top three?

2. Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin

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By the Numbers: 16.6 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.9 BPG, 1.2 SPG

Best Game: 25 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks, two assists, one steal vs. Buffalo

Previous Rank: 3

Why He's Here 

I went out on a limb in dropping Frank Kaminsky to No. 3 two weeks ago to make room for Montrezl Harrell at No. 2.

Kaminsky immediately responded with three consecutive double-doubles, averaging 19.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals against Buffalo, Penn State and Northwestern.

If Jahlil Okafor hadn't also been playing like a man possessed, it would have been tempting to make up for lost time by vaulting Kaminsky to No. 1.

Much like Delon Wright, Frank the Tank has played even better than expected after being frequently mentioned as a favorite for the Wooden Award before the season began. Save for a slight increase in turnovers and an even slighter decrease in free-throw percentage, Kaminsky has been better than he was last season in every way.

Whether he ultimately wins the award, though, might be out of his hands. Wisconsin lost the head-to-head battle with Duke, which gave Okafor that much more of an edge over Kaminsky. Unless Duke or Okafor slip considerably in the next two months, the freshman from Duke should finish ahead of the four-year senior—unlike last season when Jabari Parker finished second to Doug McDermott.

1. Jahlil Okafor, Duke

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By the Numbers: 19.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 1.5 APG, 0.8 SPG

Best Game: 25 points, 20 rebounds, three blocks, two steals, one assist vs. Elon

Previous Rank: 1

Why He's Here 

Jahlil Okafor has been No. 1 in our rankings all season long, and there's no question he has been an even better player than he was in the first few weeks of the season.

• Okafor's first five games: 15.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 1.6 BPG, 2.8 fouls per game, 2.6 free-throw attempts per game
• Okafor's last eight games: 21.8 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 1.4 fouls per game, 7.8 free-throw attempts per game

For most players on the list, 22 points and nine rebounds is roughly what we're finding for their best game of the season. For Okafor, it's just an average day at the office over the past six weeks.

Remember when some people were worried that Duke might be a little rusty after an 11-day break between games around Christmas? Okafor has at least 24 points and eight rebounds in every game since that break. He shot 76.9 percent from the field in those three games.

We could gush for days on end about how great Okafor has been, but the moral of the story is that he started out as a stud before proceeding to improve by leaps and bounds.

Okafor is the Player of the Year right now. Anyone who suggests otherwise is just kidding themselves.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics on the following slides are current through the start of play on Wednesday, January 7. All statistics courtesy of ESPN.com, Sports-Reference.com and KenPom.com (subscription required).

Kerry Miller covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @kerrancejames.