Dark-Horse Player of the Year Candidates in Each Major CBB Conference in 2015-16

Dark horses are what college basketball fans love to think of regarding Player of the Year awards. That’s because everyone is undefeated right now, and a whole lot of talent is already getting in extra jump shots and conditioning.

Every player, every team, feels like the favorite. Of course, we know that's not the case.

But look how many times preseason awards come out and the final lists in March don’t bear that much resemblance to what we expected in the late spring, summer and even November. Right now we’re going to stick to conference Player of the Year awards in the seven major conferences. We know some guys will be at the top of those lists all year, but we’ll pinpoint a few who are a little under the radar—and show why they have a shot to make the greatest impact of all.

These aren't completely outlandish suggestions. Rather, these are legitimate candidates who don’t get the hype or will find themselves in prime scenarios to write big stories this year.

AAC: Amida Brimah, UConn

Fred Beckham/Associated Press

2014-15 Stats: 26.3 MPG, 9.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.5 BPG, 0.2 APG, 0.2 SPG

Go to UConn’s roster page and there’s a little ear symbol by Brimah’s name. Scroll over it for a pronunciation key to his name: ah-ME-duh BRY-mah.

But by the end of his junior year in 2015-16, that may be unnecessary as he could easily be a household name.

Brimah missed the offseason after his freshman year because of shoulder surgery. That’s such a critical time in a young player’s development, and it hurt him all of last year.

Even with limited offseason workouts leading up to last season, he still showed a consistent hook shot and a mid-range baseline jumper that make him a threat all over the floor. In a limited role, he still shot 67.4 percent with his effective field-goal percentage, which was fourth nationally by KenPom’s count.

Throw in his 3.5 blocks per game (second nationally), and he could be a full-court threat whom the Huskies can build around.

He’s already been an AAC Defensive Player of the Year but needs some muscle (the 7-footer is listed at 230 pounds) to supplant small forward Daniel Hamilton (who will be a sophomore) as the Huskies’ biggest threat.

ACC: Grayson Allen, Duke

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

2014-15 Stats: 9.2 MPG, 4.4 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.1 BPG, 0.4 APG, 0.3 SPG

Like UConn’s Amida Brimah, this is an interesting case to consider. Of course, Duke's Allen should be good. He posted 16 points in 21 minutes of the NCAA title game, leading a second-half comeback against Wisconsin.

But also like Brimah, Allen won’t even enter the season as the best player on his team. Incoming freshman Derryck Thornton received coach Mike Krzyzewski’s full-court recruiting press after Tyus Jones opted for the NBA.

Allen may have already had his big look-what-I-can-do bursts that will put him near center stage of the ACC. But the conference is loaded with talent this year, and Allen now must make the big leap from benchwarmer to star.

He should be a thrilling slasher (something the Badgers didn’t seem to account for on the scouting report) and, almost like a rookie NFL quarterback, may benefit from his considerable time spent learning from the sidelines.

Big 12: Wayne Selden, Kansas

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

2014-15 Stats: 29.4 MPG, 9.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.5 BPG, 2.6 APG, 0.6 SPG

Selden didn’t improve, statistically speaking, between his freshman and sophomore seasons. Maybe it wasn’t a lost year, but Selden–once a top-20 national recruit—still has a lot to prove before leaving Kansas.

The 6’5’’ guard hasn’t even sniffed a Sweet 16 and went scoreless in 23 minutes of KU’s last game (the loss to Wichita State in the round of 32).

“I’m using that last game and the season as my everyday motivation to get better,” Selden said upon his announcement that he would return to college. “I’m happy to come back to Kansas next season. This is a special place.”

Selden could have a special season. Perry Ellis will get the majority of the hype on campus, and the Big 12 is loaded with veteran studs (Iowa State’s Georges Niang and Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, among others), but Selden is a strong defender and has a penchant for making one or two spiffy passes per game.

He shined in the Big 12 tournament last year and led KU in scoring seven times, along with a team-best 46 three-pointers. However, he’ll need to raise his three-point shooting percentage (36.5) to be deemed a real Player of the Year threat.

Selden may have a little better feel of where he fits in offensively this year after biding his time behind Andrew Wiggins two years ago and the Jayhawks being in flux seemingly all of last winter without an offensive identity.

Big East: Ben Bentil, Providence

Paul Vernon/Associated Press

2014-15 Stats: 21.5 MPG, 6.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 0.4 BPG, 0.6 APG, 0.3 SPG

Including Bentil almost seems unfair, because his teammate, guard Kris Dunn, turned down NBA declaration and is already a reigning Big East Player of the Year.

But Bentil could come on strong for the Friars in a considerably bigger role. He was awesome at times last season, and Providence will need more of that from the 6’8’’ sophomore because LaDontae Henton has graduated. Henton took up nearly 92 percent of the minutes available to him (20th nationally).

The only thing Bentil needs is a chance when comparing his minutes used (53.6 percent) in comparison to Henton's.

Dunn averaged 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.7 steals per game last season, and he’s the Friars’ keystone. But it never hurts to have a solid “1A” option, and Bentil is poised to make that jump around a steady nucleus plus a solid incoming recruiting class.

Big Ten: Derrick Walton Jr., Michigan

Al Goldis/Associated Press

2014-15 Stats: 33.3 MPG, 10.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 0.1 BPG, 3.0 APG, 1.2 SPG

Put this one in the "if only..." category.

As in, if only Walton can stay healthy, he could be a beast in the Big Ten.

He played through a foot/toe injury for most of the season, averaging 10.7 points, 3.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. The 6’0’’ sophomore did not play after January 24, as coach John Beilein was stuck in a difficult touch-and-go situation for the second half of the season. It kept looking like Walton would eventually take the court, but it was almost as much of a disappointing lead-on as Kentucky's undefeated-season chase.

Last year was Walton’s time to shine. Instead, he sat, and the Wolverines flopped. But his presence could get them quickly on the right track.

Walton is an 82 percent foul shooter who drew about four fouls per game. Just imagine if he can be healthier and faster and develop into more of a weapon. He’ll need to become a better three-point shooter (33 percent) and overall shooter (32 percent), and it remains to be seen how much a healthy foot will improve his accuracy.

Pac-12: Kaleb Tarczewski, Arizona

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

2014-15 Stats: 26.0 MPG, 9.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 0.6 BPG, 0.3 APG, 0.4 SPG

The Pac-12 Player of the Year race is wide open.

Eight of the top 10 first-teamers from 2015 are gone to graduation or the NBA (the exceptions are Oregon State’s Gary Payton II and Cal’s Tyrone Wallace).

UA won’t be what it was last year, either—it's losing its top four scorers—but Tarczewski seems primed to make a big leap in leadership and production.

It sure looked like he learned a lesson after a measly two-point game against Arizona State on Feb. 7. The 7-footer has always been a lightning rod in Tucson—to whom much height is given, much is expected—but that seemed to concern even fellow Wildcats. Perhaps it even ticked them off.

Tarczewski responded with double-figure scoring in nine of the final 15 games, including three of the four NCAA tournament appearances (in which he made 11 of his 22 shots).

The senior won’t necessarily be expected to advance into big-star mode. The freshman class is top-flight, and transfers Ryan Anderson (Boston College) and Mark Tollefsen (San Francisco) will challenge the lone returning Arizona starter for productivity numbers.

But Tarczewski knows the desert and seemed to catch his confidence stride late last season. If he can play at a higher level and keep the 'Cats going deep into the tournament, he'll get some notice.

SEC: Alex Poythress, Kentucky

James Crisp/Associated Press

2014-15 Stats: 20.3 MPG, 5.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.5 BPG, 0.3 APG, 0.5 SPG

Oh, this is rich.

The one-and-done factory could best be known this year for...a senior.

A knee injury ruined Poythress' junior year in December. He surely won’t be expected to be the best player in the conference (looking at you, LSU star recruit Ben Simmons) or perhaps in Kentucky’s reconfigured lineup (point guard Tyler Ulis should shine).

“It was real difficult, but things happen for a reason,” Poythress recently said in regard to watching his teammates declare for the NBA draft while he's staying in Lexington. “God has a plan for me. I’m just trying to run out that plan.”

The plan will likely be for coach John Calipari—even with a lot of young talent coming in—to give Poythress every chance to establish himself as the talent he had showcased before the setback.

And watch for other SEC coaches, or media voters, to reward Poythress for winding through the comeback trail if Kentucky is back in the national-championship hunt.