We’re already seeing several key storylines come into play in the season’s early stages as the rankings for one of college basketball’s prestigious Wooden Award are as hotly contested as ever.
Last week’s rankings for this year’s Wooden Award saw Michigan State’s Cassius Winston come out on top of the massive pile of contestants in the running this season, as college basketball continues on through the course of the early season.
With conference matchups always coming earlier and earlier in the season for some of the nation’s top conferences, we’re still a few weeks away from seeing great conference action.
Another plotline was added to the race for the Wooden Award when No. 13 Memphis’ James Wiseman was ruled ineligible by the NCAA, who are now reviewing the situation. Were it not for the fact that his future is so up in the air, he would naturally have been on this list, after featuring in at No. 4 on last week’s edition.
Wiseman storylines aside, perhaps the biggest storyline in the early going has been the performance of North Carolina Tar Heels’ freshman Cole Anthony this season. Anthony broke an impressive record when he scored 34 points in his freshman debut.
That statistic is the highest debut-game point tally in UNC history and was one of many impressive performances for Anthony on the young season. The freshman’s ability to score is but one of the many facets of his well-rounded ability, but are those abilities and performances enough for him to rise from last week’s No. 2 spot on the list?
Let’s begin.
5. Myles Powell, Seton Hall, senior
We’ve got a shakeup in the Wooden Award rankings for this week from the jump, with No. 13 Seton Hall finding their high scoring guard Myles Powell sneaking into the back of the list. Louisville’s Jordan Nwora has had some less-than-remarkable games so far this season, and in a tight competition like this, you’ve got to be at the top of your game to stay in the race.
Powell has starred so far this season, averaging 22.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the highly ranked Pirates, while also dropping 37 points against Michigan State in a tight loss at home against the Spartans. If he continues his huge impact on this Seton Hall team, and they continue to rise up the rankings, watch Powell do the same.
4. Markus Howard, Marquette, senior
The Marquette Golden Eagles have already played more Big Ten games than any legitimate Big Ten team has (Well, games against opponents from that conference), and Markus Howard has performed admirably in the matchups.
Since we last touched base on our rankings, College basketball’s best streaky scorer found a way to bust through two low-scoring games against Purdue at home, and Wisconsin on the road, and score 18 points in both games. Howard also shot 50 percent from the field against Purdue, and also had four rebounds and three assists.
Against tough Big Ten defenses, Howard did enough to just drop one spot from last week’s rankings in a week that saw a lot of turnover to our list.
3. Kerry Blackshear Jr., Florida, senior
Not only did Kerry Blackshear Jr. jump up onto the list, but he also jumped all the way up to No. 3 on our Wooden Award rankings thanks to less-than-desirable performances from other factors and James Wiseman’s aforementioned eligibility questions.
Blackshear Jr. is an impressive senior talent for the Florida Gators and is currently averaging 14.5 points, 11 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game as the team’s big man. The Gators may not have the best record currently, but if Blackshear can continue to average a double-double or better, they’ll be a threat going forward into SEC play.
2. Cassius Winston, Michigan State, senior
Falling from the No. 1 spot that he held last week, Cassius Winston still makes a solid claim to being near or at the top of this list. The senior guard is averaging 17.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and a massive 6.8 assists on the young season for the 3-1 No. 3 Spartans, whose only loss is the season-opener to Kentucky.
Winston was still able to make a huge impact in that game against the Wildcats, putting up 21 points and 4 assists. He really showed out in the Maui Jim Invitational against Charleston Southern, wherein he racked up a massive eight assists. Winston remains near the top, but it’s safe to say the college basketball show has been stolen by our Wooden Award leader.
1. Cole Anthony, North Carolina, freshman
Just when the world was clamoring in wonder about who would fill the massive (literally) shoes that emptied when last year’s Wooden Award winner Zion Williamson left for the NBA, Cole Anthony burst onto the scene, breaking freshman scoring records left and right.
What’s underappreciated is Anthony’s ability to lead his team, as well. To go along with his 27.3 points per game, he’s averaging 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists and also serving as a crucial facilitator for this team, opening opportunities all over the court.
He’s the complete package, and if the young man from New York keeps up his pace, he’ll be a shoo-in for the John R. Wooden Award.
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