Men’s Player of the Year Ladder: AJ Dybantsa, Caleb Wilson Make Big Jumps

There’s no such thing as a perfect résumé in college basketball, but some players are separating themselves more than others. Welcome to the second edition of my men’s college basketball Player of the Year Ladder. This isn’t a list built on a rigid set of rules. One scorching shooting night or one rough outing isn’t enough to dramatically change the picture. While the same 10 players remain from last week, the order has shifted as performances continue to stack up. These rankings balance what players are doing right now with the full body of work they’ve put together across the season. With that context in mind, here’s how this week’s men’s Player of the Year Ladder shakes out. Honorable mention: Houston guard Kingston Flemings, Illinois guard Keaton Wagler, St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor, Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz 10. Braden Smith, Purdue senior guard It will be hard for Houston freshman Kingston Flemings to take Braden Smith’s seat in these rankings, but it’s not impossible. Smith struggled against Oregon on Saturday with 13 points, four assists and six turnovers. That marked just the third time this season that Smith has had four or fewer assists in a game. The Boilermakers’ senior guard will get a chance to redeem himself against Nebraska in a top-10 showdown at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday on FS1. 9. Darryn Peterson, Kansas freshman guard Peterson will continue to climb up the ladder if he stays on the court. The Jayhawks’ freshman star has played in seven of the team’s last nine games, though he did miss their win over No. 1 Arizona on Monday. His latest dunk against Utah shows there isn’t much he can’t do on the offensive end. 8. Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas freshman guard Acuff has scored 20 or more points in five of his last six games. His consistency as a shot-maker and passer is mind-boggling for a freshman. Unfortunately for Acuff, his teammates are less consistent. 7. Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan senior forward Michigan is loaded with talent, but Lendeborg is the player I can’t stop watching. His 14-point, 14-rebound performance at Ohio State on Sunday kept the Buckeyes at arm’s length and underscored just how valuable he is. [WOODEN AWARD ODDS: Texas Tech’s JT Toppin Makes Huge Jump for PoY] 6. Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State sophomore guard After being criticized for several days over his “immature” acts on the court against Michigan and Minnesota, Fears showed his mental toughness with a 26-point, 15-assist gem on Saturday against Illinois. One word… wow! 5. Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State senior forward Iowa State only played one game this week and Jefferson had a solid 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists in a win over Baylor. He remains the most underrated player in the nation. 4. JT Toppin, Texas Tech junior forward Toppin dropped two spots on the ladder, but he’ll have plenty of time to respond as Texas Tech makes a push for a 3-seed in the NCAA tournament. His 10-point performance vs. Kansas didn’t help him, though. 3. Caleb Wilson, North Carolina freshman forward Wilson’s first half performance against Duke was so much fun. The freshman standout finished the game with 20 points and 10 rebounds, which clearly validates a top-3 spot on this ladder. However, it’s the fact he led the Tar Heels to a high-profile win that certainly boosted him up. 2. AJ Dybantsa, BYU freshman forward BYU has lost four straight, but these are player rankings, and Dybantsa has been an offensive genius lately. Do you know how hard it is to score 28 points against Houston’s defense? 1. Cameron Boozer, Duke freshman forward Boozer took a while to get going against North Carolina, but he still finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds against one of the better frontcourt duos in the nation.