College Basketball

NCAA Basketball: Player of the Year power rankings (Edition 10)

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:10 p.m. ET

Fansided, Carmine Carcieri/FanSided via Busting Brackets

Jan 29, 2017; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers center Jordy Tshminga (32) and Purdue Boilermakers forward Caleb Swanigan (50) fight for the ball in the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

After nine editions of the NCAA basketball Player of the Year power rankings, it looks like Frank Mason III is separating himself a bit.

Conference play continues to heat up, so things continue to round into form regarding the Player of the Year conversation. The top three looks set, but that doesn’t mean that players on the outside looking in cannot build up a case over the next couple of months.

Remember the regular season doesn’t end until early March, which creates plenty of opportunities.

But the time is now to start to increase production.

So how do you progressively build a Player of the Year candidacy? You must have strong overall numbers, your team must be successful and of course, you must have clutch season-defining moments.

Obviously, players’ numbers aren’t final, teams are going to have their fair share of inconsistencies and there are still a couple months remaining for clutch plays and surprising performances. But for now, we will use the information we have been provided with, and the games that we have watched to project the favorites.

Every week until the end of the season, Busting Brackets will list the top five candidates (in order) for Player of the Year. In our ninth edition, Frank Mason III remained on top of the rankings. But this week, Mason a built a little cushion.

Jan 17, 2017; Starkville, MS, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard De’Aaron Fox (0) shoots the ball and is fouled by Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Xavian Stapleton (3) during the second half at Humphrey Coliseum. The Wildcats won 88-81. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

5. De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky

The SEC and a recent stomach bug that kept him out against Georgia on Tuesday evening are not helping De’Aaron Fox’s case for the Player of the Year award.

While Fox is Kentucky’s most important player because of his two-way impact, the Wildcats have only one true quality victory that moves the needle: their win against North Carolina. And that win came on a day when Malik Monk scored 47 points.

Remember, team status matters. Kentucky is still one of the favorites to win the National Championship game and is a top 10 squad, but will their lack of late season tests harm them in the long run?

Fox is still averaging 15.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game, though. That is enough to keep him in the top five despite a strong push from Monk, Ethan Happ, Luke Kennard, Jonathan Motley and others.

4. Caleb Swanigan, Purdue

Despite their recent losses to Iowa and Nebraska on the road, Purdue versatile big man Caleb Swanigan continues to rise up the power rankings.

Why? He’s the main reason why Matt Painter’s squad is one of the best teams in a wide-open Big Ten.

Swanigan has notched 12 double-doubles in his last 13 games, including a 14-14-6 game in the loss to Nebraska. On the season, the big man is putting up an absurd 18.5 points, 12.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game (he has improved greatly as a passer). His efficiency is also at another level this year, as he is making 55 percent of his shots from the field and 50 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

You could argue that Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ has been better as of late and Swanigan’s consistent turnover issues are a concern, but the 6’9″ bigs’ dominance from the beginning of the season to the present is impressive.

January 21, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) moves the ball up court against the Arizona Wildcats during the second half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

3. Lonzo Ball, UCLA

Yes, UCLA doesn’t defend. Yes, the Bruins’ offense has struggled to hit their three-pointers in the last couple of outings. And yes, the Bruins have not taken care of the ball as of late.

But UCLA is still in a tie for third in the Pac-12 and are the 11th best team in the country. We cannot overlook the big picture of their season, and we cannot overreact to a couple of losses to some of the better teams in their conference.

This is just a slump for the Bruins. They are still averaging 92.2 points per game. They are still 19-3. They still won at Rupp Arena against the Kentucky Wildcats and remember, one of their losses was to Oregon on the road on a Dillon Brooks buzzer beater.

Lonzo Ball is one of the reasons why UCLA is on a two-game losing streak, but he’s also the main reason why the Bruins have become a National Championship and Final Four contender. Maybe Steve Alford’s club isn’t as good as we all thought, but they are still significantly better than last season’s 15-17 team because of Ball’s unselfishness and unbelievable play.

Jan 29, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Josh Hart (3) and guard Donte DiVincenzo (10) scramble for a loose ball against the Virginia Cavaliers during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Villanova Wildcats won 61-59. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

2. Josh Hart, Villanova

Villanova has looked beatable in four of their last five games. And one of the reasons is a bit of a drop off from Josh Hart.

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Before we move forward, Hart was playing at such a high level earlier this season (including his monster performance against Notre Dame) that it was unexpected for him to continue to single-handily carry Villanova. Jay Wright knows the Wildcats aren’t going to repeat if they aren’t spreading the ball around to Kris Jenkins, Jalen Brunson, and others.

Now, this isn’t to say that Hart isn’t playing well, but he scored just 22 combined points against Seton Hall and St. John’s and was a non-factor against Virginia for 32 minutes.

On the plus side, Hart scored 25 points in a win over Providence, scored an efficient 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the team’s loss to Marquette and came up clutch against Virginia down the stretch.

It seems like we are nitpicking, but that’s what it takes to separate players in these power rankings. The margin between them is so slim.

Jan 28, 2017; Lexington, KY, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Frank Mason III (0) makes a layup against the Kentucky Wildcats in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kansas defeated Kentucky 79-73. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

1. Frank Mason III, Kansas

Kansas went into Kentucky and defeated the Wildcats mainly thanks to the great play of Josh Jackson, who had one of the best games of his college career thus far.

But Frank Mason III was Kansas’ leading scorer (21 points), and his veteran, calm presence helped him and his teammates thrive in a hostile environment.

Mason is producing at a historic level this season, as he is averaging 19.9 points, 5.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game on an efficient 51 percent from the field and 52 percent from beyond the arc.

Kansas, in my opinion, is one of the top teams in the country and are one of three or four clear cut National Championship contenders. And that has nothing to do with their front court, but instead has everything to do with Mason and his fellow guards.