Ohio State's Turner Leads Player of the Year Race
Mike DeCourcy - SportingNews.com
Feb 18, 2010
There are many more trophies for college basketball's player of the year honor than there are contenders to win it.
It's not clear which, if any, means the most: the Oscar Robertson Trophy, the Naismith Trophy, the John R. Wooden Award, the Adolph Rupp Trophy. Oh, and the Sporting News player of the year award, of course.
It's best when the same player collects them all, so there's no need to argue which one got it right.
The leader: Evan Turner, PG, Ohio State
Next big game: Wednesday vs. Purdue, 6:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
Why he should win it: An oversized point guard at 6-7, Turner is just short of averaging a double-double in points (19.0) and rebounds (9.4), and he also passes for 5.8 assists. And he's doing all this after converting from forward.
"I think I'm doing pretty well," Turner said. "I'm getting my teammates involved. I'm doing everything my coaches ask me to do."
Why he might not: Turner missed six games with a broken back, and some voters could hold that absence against him.
The rabbit: John Wall, PG, Kentucky
Next big game: Saturday at Vanderbilt, 6 p.m., ESPN
Why he could win it: Over the season's first six weeks, he was the talk of the sport. His dazzling displays of athleticism and confidence helped a young team survive some tight games. He remains the most difficult player in Division I to defend.
Why he probably won't: Wall has remained an excellent player since his early burst, but if it's a close decision, the advantage probably will go to an upperclassman.
The contender: Scottie Reynolds, SG, Villanova
Next big game: Sunday at Pitt, noon, CBS
Why he could win it: Reynolds still has some huge showcase games before the season's end, including Sunday's and a Feb. 27 visit to Syracuse.
Why he probably won't: Part of Reynolds surging to the front would involve one (possibly both) of the top candidates faltering. Neither has given any indication that such a decline is imminent, and it rarely happens in any season.
keeps less talented teams in games? Want proof? The Hoyas have lost three times to opponents ranked outside the RPI top 50. Nobody else in the top 10 has more than one such defeat.
Mike DeCourcy is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at decourcy@sportingnews.com.
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