Is it the year of the center in college basketball? According to the recent Wooden Award watch lists, that answer is a resounding ‘Yes.' Purdue basketball star Zach Edey is the runaway favorite so far this season with Duke's Kyle Filipowski and Kansas basketball star Hunter Dickinson, the ex-Michigan Wolverine, also challenging for the top spot.
Rounding out the top Wooden Award contenders list are Tyson Walker of Michigan State, RJ Davis of North Carolina, and Dalton Knecht of Tennessee basketball, each of whom plays more on the perimeter than the classic trio of centers currently garnering the most attention for top five best players in college basketball this season.
Edey reacted to one of the best wins in Purdue's recent basketball history. A shocking Purdue loss to a non-contender was cited as a cause for concern.
With the Purdue basketball star Edey leading the way in college basketball this season, it's time to dissect whether anyone can challenge him for college basketball's Player of the Year award.
Here are the top five best players in college basketball this season:
5. Dalton Knecht-
Knecht is a 6-foot-6 guard who has improved his three-point accuracy by two points in each of the last two seasons.
He's led the Vols to a 14-4 record so far with a matchup against the Commodores of Vanderbilt scheduled for Saturday and he has the charisma, personality and all-around skills to play even better down the stretch, especially in clutch moments of games.
Knecht is averaging nearly 19 points per game for coach Rick Barnes' team with an eye on continuous improvement.
4. Kyle Filipowski-
A 7-foot center for Coach Jon Scheyer's team, Filipowski is a strong post player who fits the mold of centers on championship level Blue Devil teams in recent years. He isn't quite matching Zach Edey's production but he is a star in his own right for Coach K's former team.
He's averaging 18.2 points per game and nine rebounds on over 50 percent shooting. Just a sophomore, Filipowski could make a run at All-American honors by the time the college basketball season is over.
3. RJ Davis-
Davis's stats will remind many of some of the Tar Heels' recent greats at the guard position.
He's shooting nearly 42% from three-point land and scoring over 21 points per game for Coach Hubert Davis team, making believers out of doubters and ascending up the list of top players in college basketball.
Davis is currently ranked second on the Wooden Award watch list and has as good a shot as anyone to challenge Edey for the award this season.
2. Hunter Dickinson-
Dickinson is a polarizing player not just because of his at times spotty defense but also because of his controversial takes on NIL, college sports, and opposing teams and players. He left Zach Edey's conference and is now playing great basketball in America's Heartland.
Dickinson has continued to put up sensational stats while leading the Kansas Jayhawks to a 16-3 overall record.
If Dickinson's Jayhawks can match the first place Texas Tech Raiders and eventually surpass them, his name will be among the top two or three players in all of college basketball when it's all said and done.
After years of battling Zach Edey in the Big Ten, Dickinson has found a new home in Lawrence, Kansas.
It would make for perfect theater if a more mature Dickinson, flanked by better teammates under Coach Bill Self, ended up facing Edey in college basketball's post season. Edey is the better player, but Dickinson's team could get the best of the Boilermakers in such a scenario.
1. Zach Edey-
It's really no contest at this point – the 7-foot-4, 300 pound senior from Toronto, Ontario, Canada is the best player in college basketball with averages of 22.9 points and over 11 rebounds on 64 percent shooting.
Much like Dickinson, there have been questions about his lateral movement and quickness from time-to-time. Purdue's team-first defensive schemes and gritty, mature roster have helped to keep Edey on the court and playing winning basketball without too many worries on the defensive side of the basketball.
Edey is far from the ‘modern' center archetype stylized by Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren in the NBA this season. He hasn't attempted a single three-pointer this season.
It will be fascinating to see if Edey's game translates to the modern NBA. For now, he is a joy to watch for Matt Painter's team as the best player in college basketball so far.
Expect to see Zach Edey hoisting the Wooden Trophy by the team this season is all said and done, if not a National Championship trophy.
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