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National Player of the Year rankings: Will injury cost Zion Williamson?

By Jacob Lane

DURHAM, NC - FEBRUARY 02: RJ Barrett #5 and Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils look on in the first half against the St. John's Red Storm at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 2, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - FEBRUARY 02: RJ Barrett #5 and Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils look on in the first half against the St. John's Red Storm at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 2, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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PJ Washington
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI – FEBRUARY 19: PJ Washington #25 of the Kentucky Wildcats in action against the Missouri Tigers at Mizzou Arena on February 19, 2019 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /

5. PJ Washington – Kentucky

This week:

  • Missouri: 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
  • Auburn: 24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists 

Season stats: 15.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.9 apg

Kentucky has been on a roll since January, winning 13 of the last 14 in the SEC. The biggest factor in that success has been PJ Washington. The sophomore big man has averaged 17 points and seven rebounds in conference play and 21 points per game over his last nine.

The Cats schedule over the last three weeks has included some of the top teams in the SEC including Mississippi State, Tennessee, Auburn, South Carolina, Florida and non-conference foe, Kansas.

Washington struggled earlier in the season, as did the young Wildcats team, but with March just a few weeks away both have figured things out. When you are the best player on a top-five team, you deserve to be included in the National Player of the Year conversation.

Against two mid-tier SEC teams, Washington was once again dominant, combining for 42 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. The performance against Auburn was even more impressive, and a big reason why Washington has climbed into the top five, due to the fact that Kentucky played without their other big man, Reid Travis. Auburn attempted to focus in on Washington, but his play was just too good for the inexperienced front court of Chuma Okeke, Austin Wiley, and Anfernee McLemore.