College basketball has been madness so far and it’s not even March yet. Many upsets, great freshman class, no power house – it’s just been fantastic to watch to this point of the season. With everything being up in the air in the early stages of the season, let’s determine who’ll finish the whirlwind with hardware.
Naismith National Player of the Year Award
Dylan Harper, Guard, Rutgers
Dylan Harper, son of Ron Harper, former NBA Champion with the Chicago Bulls, has been far and away the best player in college basketball through eight games. He’s averaging just shy of 24 points per game while also shooting over 51% from the field. On top of his offensive efficiency, Dylan has been able to tack on over four rebounds and four assists per game as well. Harper is proving not only that he’s a draft prospect to take seriously but that he might just be the best prospect out of this loaded upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.
NABC National Freshman of the Year Award
Dylan Harper, Guard, Rutgers
It’s been remarkable what Harper has been able to do so far in the Scarlet Knights uniform. Harper, as well as freshman Ace Bailey, have turned this Rutgers program around to a true contender. Even though they did not come out victorious, he has helped them compete with some of the top programs in the country including Texas A&M (95-90) and Alabama (81-77). Harper has also had the best single game showing out of any freshman this season. This performance came against a very good Alabama team, in which he finished the game with 37 points. If Harper keeps up this production, we might be looking at the fifth player ever to win both Freshman of the Year and National Player of the Year.
NABC Defensive Player of the Year Award
Amari Williams, Center, Kentucky
The transfer center out of Drexel has shown his defensive skills the past couple years but has now been able to show it on the big stage in Lexington. The 7-foot center has been a dominant force for the Wildcats so far and is leading to much success for Kentucky’s undefeated record to this point. Williams is averaging almost two blocks per game and has also been just a great paint presence for Kentucky. On top of that, Williams is also averaging 10 rebounds per game and has been creating many second chance opportunities for the Wildcats.
National Champion
Auburn
It’s very early into the season and many things can change between now and March. With that being said, Auburn looks like a legit contender this year. The Tigers are currently 7-0 and their schedule hasn’t been easy by any means. They’ve taken down Houston, Iowa State and North Carolina, all top 25 teams. Auburn will be battle-tested throughout the entire season with 11 of their 24 remaining games coming against top 25 teams. My early prediction is that the Tigers put together their best season in school history and bring home a national championship to Auburn for the first time ever.
All stats are from ESPN as of Dec. 2.
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