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College Basketball: Top 5 candidates for Player of the Year

By Nathaniel Reeves

Jan 2, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield (24) reacts after a play against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield (24) reacts after a play against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 18, 2016; Ames, IA, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield (24) dribbles against Iowa State Cyclones guard Matt Thomas (21) at James H. Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones beat the Sooners 82-77. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2016; Ames, IA, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield (24) dribbles against Iowa State Cyclones guard Matt Thomas (21) at James H. Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones beat the Sooners 82-77. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Buddy Hield, Oklahoma 

It’s too early to call the race for Player of the Year completely over, but Hield has clearly separated himself from the rest of the pack. Hield is putting up some historic shooting numbers and helped the Sooners to a No. 1 ranking for much of the conference slate.

The senior from the Bahamas is averaging 25.6 points per game according to CBB Reference to rank second in Division 1, while chipping in 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals. Hield is shooting an incredible 51.1 percent from three and has all the signature moments of an award winner, including end-of-game heroics against LSU and a 46-point effort in Allen Fieldhouse against the Kansas Jayhawks.

Several of Hield’s numbers this season will end up in the record books, and only three major conference players in the past 20 years have averaged more points per game than Hield has so far. Hield’s shooting streak is reminiscent of Stephen Curry in his sophomore year at Davidson, and a similar deep run in March looks likely for Oklahoma.

It’s Hield’s award to lose as things currently stand, but even the best shooters can go cold sometimes. Hield didn’t have his usual impact in Oklahoma’s loss to the Kansas State Wildcats over the weekend, and is down to 37.5 percent from three over his last two games.

If Hield continues to play at his current level and Oklahoma remains one of the best teams in the nation, nobody is going to catch him, even if Simmons shows some development. The race for the Player of the Year may be effectively over, but fans around the nation can still enjoy watching one of the most exciting players in recent memory.