Fansided

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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Ja Morant
RICHMOND, KY – FEBRUARY 16: Ja Morant #12 of the Murray State Racers brings the ball up court during the game against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels at CFSB Center on February 16, 2019 in Murray, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

4. Ja Morant – Murray State

This week:

  • UT Martin: 30 points, 1 rebound, 9 assists, 2 steals
  • SE Missouri State: 23 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks

Season stats: 24.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 10.3 apg

It’s hard to even be considered for the NPOY when you play for a mid-major school like Murray State. But the season that Ja Morant is putting together is bordering on historic and is the biggest reason why Murray State is being looked at as a possible at large tournament team.

This week for Murray State, Morant put together near back-to-back double-doubles, and continued to show why he’s viewed as top three pick in the next NBA Draft. His team struggled to put away a poor UT Martin in the first game of the week, but it his clutch scoring (mostly from the free throw line) and play making that helped put the game away for good.

Against SEMO, it was a non-competitive game from the opening minutes (Murray State was up 25 at halftime), as Morant put up 23 points in 31 minutes, on an incredibly efficient 9-of-12 from the field, while also dishing out a game-high 12 assists.

I get why many people would leave out Morant in the overall conversation for the National Player of the Year. Whether it’s the fact that his team has four losses, two of which came in conference play, or that the level of competition just isn’t the same for Morant as it is for guys like Washington, Williamson and Markus Howard. But you’re crazy if you think Morant doesn’t belong on this list, as he’s without question one of the top five players in the nation.