College Basketball: B/R National Player of the Year Award Watch, Dec. 19

Starting today, we will be featuring a Bleacher Report National Player of the Year Award watch.

This will be a weekly power ranking of the top 10 players in the country, with updates on year-to-date stats as well as a recap on these players' individual performances over the last seven days.

Just like the AP and ESPN/USA Today team rankings, players can move up or move off of this list based on how they are doing throughout the 2011-12 season.

Before the Final Four commences in New Orleans at the end of March, a collection of B/R featured columnists will be polled and a winner will be announced on Final Four Saturday (March 31).

Here is the first power ranking for the 2011-12 B/R National Player of the Year Award:

Almost Making the First List...

Because of the wide-ranging talent in college basketball this year, many gifted players did not even make the initial Player of the Year (POY) Watch List.

The Next 10 could be (in no particular order):

Terrence Jones (pictured - Kentucky)

Herb Pope (Seton Hall)

Tyler Zeller (North Carolina)

Ashton Gibbs (Pitt)

Anthony Davis (Kentucky)

Orlando Johnson (UC Santa Barbara)

Will Barton (Memphis)

John Jenkins (Vanderbilt)

Draymond Green (Michigan State)

J'Covan Brown (Texas)

John Shurna (Northwestern)

10. Mike Moser (UNLV)

Position: Power Forward

Class: Sophomore

Ht: 6'8"  Wt: 195 lbs

Year-to-Date Stats:

Points: 14.2

Rebounds: 12.2

Assists: 2

Steals: 2.0  Blocks: 0.7

UNLV is 11-2 because Mike Moser is having an outstanding start to the 2011-12 season.

The sophomore transfer from UCLA is leading the Rebels in scoring and rebounding. In fact, Moser is the No. 2 rebounder in the country.

This past week:

Moser helped UNLV win twice (against UTEP and No. 19 Illinois) by scoring 23 points (on 9-for-19 shooting) and grabbing 22 boards.

9. John Henson (North Carolina)

Position: Power Forward

Class: Junior

Ht: 6'11"  Wt: 220 lbs

Year-to-Date Stats:

Points: 14.5

Rebounds: 10.1

Assists: 1.7

Steals: 0.3  Blocks: 3.3

John Henson is one of the best power forwards in the country. He is leading the Tar Heels in rebounding and blocked shots.

One of the added features to Henson's game has been an improved mid-range jump shot. He has been able to effectively step out to 12-15 feet and knock down shots this year.

This past week:

Henson had a solid outing in UNC's 15-point victory over Appalachian State. He scored 17 points (on 7-of-10 shooting) with six rebounds.

8. Jeremy Lamb (Connecticut)

Position: Shooting Guard

Class: Sophomore

Ht: 6'5"  Wt: 185 lbs

Year-to-Date Stats:

Points: 20.0

Rebounds: 4.4

Assists: 1.8

Steals: 2.2  Blocks: 0.9

Jeremy Lamb has been on a roll ever since last year's Big East Tournament.

He played at a very high level throughout March Madness. Lamb was 11-for-15 from three-point range in the NCAA Tournament, the highest all-time percentage by a player who has reached the Final Four.

Lamb has been a big factor in UConn starting off the 2011-12 season 9-1, leading the Huskies in scoring and steals

This past week:

Lamb had an cold-shooting day (4-of-16) in the Huskies 37-point blow out of Holy Cross. Lamb still contributed seven rebounds, three steals and two assists on the day.

7. Harrison Barnes (North Carolina)

Position: Shooting Forward

Class: Sophomore

Ht: 6'8"  Wt: 215 lbs

Year-to-Date Stats:

Points: 16.7

Rebounds: 4.1

Assists: 0.9

Steals: 0.8  Blocks: 0.3 

Harrison Barnes is an exceptional player on a team that has as much talent and depth as any other in the country.

Barnes leads the Tar Heels in scoring and three-point shooting percentage (50 percent).

Don't let North Carolina's two losses throw you off, especially since one of those defeats was a one-point thriller against Kentucky in Lexington

This past week:

Barnes had his worst outing of the 2011-12 season in UNC's 15-point defeat of Appalachian State. Barnes went 4-for-12 from the field, scoring nine points and grabbing four rebounds.

This was Barnes' first single-figure scoring game of the year.

6. Tu Holloway (Xavier)

Position: Point Guard

Class: Senior

Ht: 6'0"  Wt: 185 lbs

Year-to-Date Stats:

Points: 17.6

Rebounds: 3.9

Assists: 4.9

Steals: 2.4  Blocks: 0.0

Tu Holloway has had an exciting start to the 2011-12 season. He has shown why he is one of the best scoring point guards in the country.

He leads the Musketeers in scoring, assists, steals, and FT percentage (87.5).

This past week:

It's obvious how essential Holloway is to Xavier. While he served his one-game suspension from last weekend's brawl with Cincinnati, the Musketeers were creamed by ORU, 64-42.

This was the Musketeers' first loss in nine games.

5. Perry Jones III (Baylor)

Position: Power Forward

Class: Sophomore

Ht: 6'11"  Wt: 235

Year-to-Date Stats:

Points: 18.8

Rebounds: 6.0

Assists: 1.8

Steals: 1.5  Blocks: 0.2 

Perry Jones III is already in mid-season form and has helped Baylor jump to a 9-0 start, best of head coach Scott Drew's career.

PJ3 leads Baylor in scoring and FG shooting (66.7 percent).

This past week:

After a low-key outing against Bethune-Cookman (eight points and four rebounds), Jones lit up BYU in Provo for a career-high 28 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.

4. Marcus Denmon (Missouri)

Position: Shooting Guard

Class: Senior

Ht: 6'3"  Wt: 185 lbs

Year-to-Date Stats:

Points: 20.9

Rebounds: 5.4

Assists: 1.8

Steals: 1.6  Blocks:  0.0

Marcus Denmon has launched the Tigers successful transition to "small ball."

The senior guard from Kansas City may be having the best shooting year of any player in the country (55 percent from the field, 91.7 percent from the line and 49.2 percent from beyond the arc).

This past week:  

Denmon had a strong showing (17 points on 8-for-11 shooting, six rebounds and four steals) against Kennesaw State, helping the Tigers win by 37.

On Sunday, Denmon had an off-day scoring only seven points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out three assists as the Tigers destroyed William and Mary, 94-56.

3. Doug McDermott (Creighton)

Position: Shooting Forward

Class: Sophomore

Ht: 6'7"  Wt: 210 lbs

Year-to-Date Stats:

Points: 24.1

Rebounds: 8.8

Assists: 1.0

Steals: 0.1  Blocks: 0.0 

Doug McDermott may be the least known player on this list...one of the unfortunate results of playing for Creighton.

McDermott is the No. 2 scorer in the nation, shooting 61.4 percent from the field, 82.8 percent from the line and 55.3 percent from beyond the arc.

This past week:

In the BlueJays only game this week, McDermott scored 25 points in only 18 minutes, as Creighton took apart Houston Baptist 97-62.

2. Thomas Robinson (Kansas)

Position: Power Forward

Class: Junior

Ht: 6'9"  Wt: 237 lbs

Year-to-Date Stats:

Points: 17.8

Rebounds: 11.8

Assists: 1.5

Steals: 1.2  Blocks: 1.4

Thomas Robinson continues to be a dominating force in the paint this year.

This past week:

Robinson and the Jayhawks had no games. They resume action tomorrow (Monday) at home against Davidson before traveling to L.A. to play USC on Thursday (Dec. 22).

1. Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)

Position: Power Forward

Class: Sophomore

Ht: 6'9"  Wt: 280

Year-to-Date Stats:

Points: 18.3

Rebounds: 10.3

Assists: 1.6

Steals: 1.4  Blocks: 0.6

Last year's National Freshman of the Year is off to another exceptional start.

Most games, he is good for a double-double.

Sullinger leads No. 2 Ohio State in scoring, rebounds and blocked shots.

This past week:

After sitting out two games because of back spasms, Sullinger returned to play a solid 25 minutes against USC Upstate, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Unfortunately, when the Buckeyes faced South Carolina on Saturday, Sullinger sustained a bone bruise.

X-rays showed that their was no fracture, but, immediately following the game, team spokesman Dan Wallenberg said that the team is not sure when Sullinger will play next.