Naismith Award Watch: Swanigan, Hart leading Player of the Year race
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The college basketball season is switching into high gear as the regular season draws to a close, which means that legacies will be cemented in the coming weeks. For a select few, that legacy could include a coveted Naismith Trophy, which is given annually to the Player of the Year in college basketball.
Here’s a breakdown of the top five candidates for the honor this season:
Josh Hart, Villanova (18.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.1 apg)
The defending champs have an undisputed leader in Josh Hart. A throwback to the days when players stayed for four years, Hart embodies what it means to be an extension of your coach out on the floor. Just check the box score and you’ll see he can do it all. He’s scored 25 points or more on seven occasions, posted four double-doubles, one triple-double, all while shooting 40 percent from three-point range.
Hart’s also a skilled perimeter defender who picks opponents’ pockets with ease (1.5 spg). Most importantly, he doesn’t need to dominate the ball to make a big impact. He could be the most well-rounded award recipient since Evan Turner back in 2010.
Marcus Keene, Central Michigan (29.4 ppg, 4.9 apg, 4.5 rpg)
Keene was one of four players from mid-major conferences included in the Naismith Trophy Top 30, which was released last month. The pint-sized playmaker is running away with the DI scoring title this season and had a memorable game-winning shot against in-state rival Western Michigan back on Feb. 3.
The issue for Keene is simple: His team stinks. Setting aside the fact that only eight true mid-major programs have produced Naismith winners in the last 47 years, exactly zero Naismith winners have played on teams that failed to make the postseason. Central Michigan is currently in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Barring a great run in the MAC tournament, they won’t be playing in any postseason tournament.
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue (18.6 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 2.8 apg)
The lone “big” with a real chance to win this prestigious award is the Boilermakers’ power forward, Caleb Swanigan. The frontcourt force is Purdue’s best player since Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson, who coincidentally is the only player in program history to win the Naismith.
Making Swanigan's case even stronger is that he’s delivered a regular-season conference championship. If he were a little bit more impactful on the defensive end he’d be the prohibitive favorite, but he’s just not the defensive stopper that previous frontcourt winners like Anthony Davis and Kenyon Martin were during their historic seasons.
Lonzo Ball, UCLA (15 ppg, 7.6 apg, 6.3 rpg)
When the Atlanta Tipoff Club hands the Naismith Trophy to the nation’s top college basketball player next month, don’t be surprised if it’s Ball who is on the receiving end. The sharpshooter with a bright NBA future has turned it up a few notches lately.
UCLA hasn’t lost since January and Ball is shooting a blistering 53 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range during the Bruins eight-game winning streak. He wants the ball in crunch time, evidenced by his parking lot three that helped UCLA knock off then fifth-ranked Oregon at Pauley Pavilion. A memorable March Madness run for the Bruins could be enough to win him this great honor.
Frank Mason III, Kansas (20.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4 apg)
Handing the trophy to the best player on the best team in America is often a cop-out, but Mason III is a special kind of leader. The heart and soul of the Jayhawks has the numbers and the wins to warrant inclusion on this list. When Kansas finds itself in a close game, you can count on Mason to put his head down and get to the hoop.
In KU’s last three games against top-10 opponents, all wins by the way, Mason shot 36-for-38 from the foul line. The bigger the moment, the better he plays and when it comes to this award, rising to the occasion matters.
(Photos Courtesy: Getty Images)