Updated College Basketball Player of the Year Rankings for 2015-16

No country for young men.

That could be the headline of the 2015-16 college basketball season to date. There are some freshmen making impacts and having nice seasons, but this season has been all about the old-timers.

These Player of the Year rankings are a direct reflection of that. Out of the 20 players listed, 12 are seniors, four are juniors, three are sophomores and only one freshman made the cut.

The top three players are all fourth-year guys—one is a fourth-year junior—and my crystal ball tells me that those three guys—Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield, Providence Friars guard Kris Dunn and Michigan State Spartans guard Denzel Valentine—will top the list all season. At this point, you can put their names in a hat and justify any order you slot them. They've all been brilliant.

The one freshman who could crash the party is LSU's Ben Simmons, but team success matters when it comes to postseason awards, and the Tigers are playing Simmons out of contention. Even if LSU comes around, it's going to be hard to unseat one of the old guys at the top.

Didn't make the cut, but keep an eye on: Sheldon McClellan, Miami; Anthony Gill, Virginia; A.J. English, Iona; Trevon Bluiett, Xavier; Tyler Ulis, Kentucky; Devin Williams, West Virginia; Ryan Anderson, Arizona; Jack Gibbs, Davidson; Caris LeVert, Michigan; Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga

20-16: Wes Washpun-Michael Young

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20. Wes Washpun, Northern Iowa: The Panthers have two of the best wins this season over the North Carolina Tar Heels, then No. 1, and the Iowa State Cyclones, then No. 5, and Washpun has been brilliant in both. He knocked in a momentum-swinging, half-court buzzer-beater at the end of the first half against the Heels and finished with 21 points and eight assists. He had career highs in points (28) and assists (11) to knock off the Cyclones in what was a semi-road game in Des Moines, Iowa on Dec. 19. For the season, Washpun is averaging 15.8 points, 6.3 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

19. Damion Lee, Louisville: Louisville's schedule has been soft, but Lee's performances in losses to Michigan State and the Kentucky Wildcats—averaging 25.0 points in the two games—validate his numbers. The Drexel transfer leads the Cardinals in scoring at 18.1 points per game and has thrived in Rick Pitino's full-court press, leading the Cards in steals (1.8 per game).

18. Josh Scott, Colorado: The Buffs are quietly cruising along at 11-2 and had reeled off 11 straight before losing this past week to the SMU Mustangs. If Scott can maintain these numbers all season (18.4 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 62.3 percent shooting) and the Buffs end up making the tourney, Scott could become the program's first All-American since Chauncey Billups in 1997 (David Harrison was an honorable mention in 2004).

17. Brice Johnson, North Carolina: The UNC senior has been one of the most efficient big men in the country, averaging 16.3 points on 65.3 percent shooting from the field and knocking down a career-best 84.1 percent of his free throws. Johnson is also averaging a career-high 9.2 rebounds per game. He tied a UNC record over the last two games by making 16 straight shots. In UNC's last three games, he's averaging 24.7 points on 75.6 percent shooting.

16. Michael Young, Pittsburgh: At 6'9" with the ability to put the ball on the floor, Michael Young is a matchup nightmare, and not only is he creating for himself (17.4 PPG), he's also setting up his teammates (3.4 APG).

The Panthers (10-1) don't have a marquee win yet, but they were ahead in the season opener against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at half—the game was canceled because of weather conditions—and Young had 11 points, four rebounds and two assists. Young is another big putting up great efficiency numbers, knocking down 60.4 percent of his shots and 86.4 percent at the free-throw line.

15. Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa

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2015-16 Stats: 18.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.2 APG, 2.8 BPG

My biggest mistake of the offseason was leaving Jarrod Uthoff off my top 100 players in college basketball list. Uthoff was at the Nike Skills Academy in Los Angeles this summer, and his struggles there tempered my expectations.

But Uthoff is playing the best basketball of his career and has been a big part of several quality wins in the non-conference schedule—Marquette, Wichita State and Florida State—for the Hawkeyes. Uthoff also had his best game of the season in a near-upset on the road at Iowa State, pouring in 32 points—30 of which came in the first half.

Uthoff has always been a knockdown shooter, which has continued this season (46.4 percent from distance), but his shot-blocking (a career-best 2.8 swats per game) on the defensive end has been a pleasant surprise.

14. Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga

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2015-16 Stats: 20.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.5 APG

The 10-3 Zags have been a slight disappointment this season, and shaky guard play is mostly to blame. The frontcourt has been tremendous, however, and you could make an argument for Domantas Sabonis as the team's MVP over Kyle Wiltjer.

But Wiltjer is still the go-to guy for Gonzaga, and his consistency scoring the ball over the last two years suggests he's going to stay in this conversation all season. Wiltjer's shooting numbers from the field are down (see below), but he's still averaging a career-best 20.2 points per game.

• 2014-15: 46.6% 3-pt FG, 57.6% 2-pt FG, 78.9% FT
• 2015-16: 40.5% 3-pt FG, 48.4% 2-pt FG, 93.1% FT

The argument that Wiltjer's numbers will be inflated by West Coast Conference competition isn't going to hold this year. He has played his best basketball against Gonzaga's top opponents, averaging 22.5 points in six games against teams ranked in the kenpom.com top 100.

13. Gary Payton II, Oregon State

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2015-16 Stats: 16.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.5 SPG

The only per-game stat that Gary Payton II doesn't lead his team in is blocks, and the 6'3" point guard is second in that department.

The Beavers are 9-2 and look like they have the goods to make a run at an NCAA tourney bid for the first time since Payton's dad was playing the point. Second-year coach Wayne Tinkle upped the talent this year by bringing in a strong freshman class to surround Payton, and the Beavers led the second-ranked Kansas Jayhawks by 14 in Kansas City, Missouri, two weeks ago before eventually losing. If they can make the tourney, the do-everything Payton will deserve All-American honors.

12. Roosevelt Jones, Butler

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2015-16 Stats: 13.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.3 SPG

The numbers are solid for Roosevelt Jones, but they never really reflect the value of the unorthodox 6'4" wing. 

Jones is only third in scoring for the Butler Bulldogs, yet he's definitely the team's MVP. Offensively, he lacks a jumper, but still finds a way to score and is the team's top setup man. He's also a bulldog on the defensive end, giving Butler a toughness similar to the Final Four teams under former head coach Brad Stevens. Jones had his best game of the season in last week's upset win against Purdue, leading Butler with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. He's always raised his play to another level in big games. 

11. Wayne Selden, Kansas

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2015-16 Stats: 15.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG

The player that Kansas anticipated it was getting out of high school has finally shown up in Lawrence. Well, that's not entirely true; this version of Wayne Selden is a better three-point shooter than anyone anticipated.

Selden is playing with a ton of confidence that he started to build this summer during his MVP performance at the World University Games. He's shot the ball so consistently from the three-point line (55.4 percent) that he's had only three games when he didn't shoot at least 50 percent from deep.

Selden has had only one game when he didn't score in double figures—nine points on 3-of-4 shooting in a win over the Harvard Crimson. To put the contrast of this season to a disappointing sophomore campaign in perspective, consider that Selden didn't reach double figures in nine of his final 11 games last season, including putting up a goose egg in the NCAA tournament loss to the Wichita State Shockers.

10. Ben Simmons, LSU

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2015-16 Stats: 19.1 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 5.8 APG, 2.3 SPG, 1.4 BPG

The Player of the Year stock watch for Ben Simmons is going to be directly tied to LSU's success. If the 7-4 Tigers stay on their current track, they'll be missing the NCAA tournament and, no matter how ridiculous the numbers, Simmons isn't going to be in the conversation.

The numbers, to this point, have been awesome. Simmons is third in the country in rebounds per game and is in the top 35 in both assists and steals. He's surpassed expectations on a strictly individual basis, but the Tigers, as a team, have been underwhelming.

9. Kahlil Felder, Oakland

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2015-16 Stats: 26.9 PPG, 8.9 APG, 4.5 RPG, 1.7 SPG

It's not easy for small-school players to enter the Player of the Year (or All-American) conversation. They have to play on a successful team, be entertaining to watch and be so good that voters are convinced they could thrive at the major-conference level as well.

Kahlil Felder is achieving all of these things. He's a 5'9" lefty point guard who leads the country in assists and is second in scoring, not to mention he's coming off what's probably the best two-game stretch for any player in the country this season.

First, Felder led his Grizzlies to a road win at the Washington Huskies and put up 38 points and nine assists. He followed that up by getting within a bounce or two of knocking off the No. 1 Michigan State Spartans in a game that he dominated with 37 points and nine assists in the overtime loss. The key for Felder staying in the conversation is Oakland remaining relevant. Getting to the NCAA tournament would also help. That could be tough for the Grizzlies, as they have to compete with the Valparaiso Crusaders in the Horizon League.

8. Melo Trimble, Maryland

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2015-16 Stats: 14.8 PPG, 5.8 APG, 2.5 RPG, 1.6 SPG

Melo Trimble's numbers don't compare to a lot of the guys on this list, but if you've watched Trimble in the games that have mattered, he's been outstanding. Trimble has been more aggressive against quality opponents, averaging 22.3 points, 5.5 assists and 9.8 free-throw attempts per game in four contests against teams ranked in the top 75 of kenpom.com.

Trimble is one one of the hardest guards in the country to defend one-on-one or off a ball screen. It's almost like he's just picked his spots so far this season and worked on building the confidence of his teammates against inferior teams. What he's done against legit competition suggests his numbers will only go up once Big Ten play begins.

7. Grayson Allen, Duke

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2015-16 Stats: 20.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.0 SPG

It was easy to be skeptical of Grayson Allen coming into this season, because the expectations had been raised so high based off a handful of games last season, in particular his 16 points in the national championship game. But somehow, Allen has crushed those expectations.

The sophomore guard has been so good that I'm not even sure Duke's coaching staff expected this. He's shooting the ball well from deep (41.2 percent) and his slashing game has been almost unstoppable.

The one thing that could hold Allen out of the top five right now is his play in Duke's two losses—he's shot 5-of-29 in those two games.

Amile Jefferson was also playing above expectations, and his loss—he's out with a foot injury—is big on both ends for the Blue Devils. Jefferson is probably only behind Allen on the list of guys Duke could not afford to lose, and life in the ACC will be difficult until he returns.

6. Georges Niang, Iowa State

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2015-16 Stats: 19.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Georges Niang is playing the best basketball of his career, and new coach Steve Prohm has been smart to use Niang similarly to how Fred Hoiberg used him. Prohm has allowed Niang to play some point forward and moved him all over the floor.

Niang is scoring the ball better this season—he averaged 15.3 points per game last year—because he's shooting better inside the three-point line (59 percent this season compared to 48.5 percent last year). Niang's advanced numbers and usage ratings are pretty similar across the board, otherwise. Last year he was a third-team All-American. If he continues to be a slightly better version of his junior self, then he'll be in the POY race all year.

5. Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia

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2015-16 Stats: 16.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.7 SPG

The final play of regulation in the Dec. 22 overtime win over the California Golden Bears was a great example of how valuable Malcolm Brogdon is to the Virginia Cavaliers. On the play, Cal foolishly tried to isolate freshman Jaylen Brown against Brogdon. When Brown tried to rise up for a game-winning three, Brogdon calmly stripped the ball. It was as clutch as draining a game-winning three.

Brogdon is one of the best defenders in the country and his value isn't always reflected in the numbers, especially because he's not a big steals guy; he just locks guys down. Offensively, Brogdon has improved his game off the bounce and is shooting better from beyond the arc (41.8 percent) this season.

And even when he struggles shooting the ball—as he did against Cal, going 3-of-12—he still finds ways to help his team win. Not only did he make that game-saving steal, he also hit a three late in overtime that helped the Cavaliers pull off a crazy comeback.

4. Jakob Poeltl, Utah

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2015-16 Stats: 18.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 2.2 BPG

Jakob Poeltl was highly efficient as a freshman—he shot 68.1 percent from the field—but he usually only took easy shots, often created by star point guard Delon Wright. It's not a surprise that Poeltl is again super efficient as a sophomore (69.7 percent), but it's much more impressive, because this year defenses are built to stop him and he's doing much more of his scoring off post-ups where he has to beat the defense. (I went more in-depth on this in my recent feature on Poeltl and his decision to stay in school).

Poeltl has made that decision look like a smart one thus far. His game has matured and he's showing that he can be a star on the college level. The entire country got to see it firsthand last weekend when he put up 19 points and 14 rebounds in the overtime win over the Duke Blue Devils.

3. Kris Dunn, Providence

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2015-16 Stats: 16.5 PPG, 7.3 APG, 6.1 RPG, 3.2 SPG

Kris Dunn was my preseason pick for National Player of the Year, and he was No. 1 on my list of the top 100 players in the country. I thought Dunn would play at a level high enough to warrant both spots, but my one concern for his POY chances was that the Providence Friars wouldn't be good enough for him to win the award. I thought Providence, which lost three of its four leading scorers and also had talented big man Paschal Chukwu transfer out, would be an NIT team.

The fact the Friars have opened the season 12-1 and are now ranked 10th nationally speaks to how talented Dunn is, and it's also a sign that his teammates are playing far better than anyone expected.

Those players deserve some credit for getting better, and head coach Ed Cooley and his staff have shown throughout the years to be pretty stellar in the player development realm. But Dunn is the piece that makes everything go, and his ability as a setup man is another reason Providence is playing so far above expectations.

Dunn returned to school—he could have been a first-rounder in the 2015 draft—because he was convinced he could get better. He's accomplishing that and having a pretty special college season in addition.

2. Denzel Valentine, Michigan State

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2015-16 Stats: 18.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 7.1 APG, 1.0 SPG

Denzel Valentine's knee injury, which will force him to miss up to three weeks, could open the door for other guys to make up ground in the Player of the Year race. Or it could do the opposite. Valentine's absence could show the country how extremely valuable he is to the Spartans and only strengthen his case for Player of the Year.

So far, it seems to be the latter. The Spartans needed overtime to beat the Oakland Grizzlies in their first game without Valentine. It's obvious when you watch the Spartans that in addition to filling up the stat sheet—Valentine leads MSU in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals—Valentine also makes the guys around him look even better than they are.

His passing and advanced basketball IQ closes the gap between Michigan State and some of the other top teams in the country. It's not like Valentine's teammates are not talented; their talent is just not on the level of teams like Kansas, North Carolina, Maryland or Kentucky. But with Valentine, the Spartans can play with any of those teams. Case in point, Michigan State beat KU, and Valentine filled up the stat sheet (29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists) and was on another level mentally than any of Kansas' guards.

1. Buddy Hield, Oklahoma

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2015-16 Stats: 24.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.5 SPG

Some guys are in "the zone" for a half or maybe every so often for an entire game. Hield has been there all season, and he's only getting hotter. 

Hield has scored in double figures in every game for the undefeated Sooners and scored fewer than 18 points only once. Over Oklahoma's last five games, he's averaging 29.8 points and has made 20 of 35 threes. His goal this season, he told B/R's Jason King, was to improve his shot selection—he shot 35.9 percent from deep last year—and he's made 52.9 percent of his threes this year. He's also making 90 percent of his free throws.

Even with Denzel Valentine's injury, it was going to take something crazy to unseat him from the top of the POY ranks. Hield's scoring over the last few weeks has been that something crazy.

C.J. Moore covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @CJMooreBR.