College basketball has no stand-out player that is running away with this year's Player of the Year honors. Instead, there are numerous players striving to be declared college's best.
Texas guard, sophomore, T.J. Ford, is part of a one-two combo that is leading Texas to another successful season in the Big 12. Ford is an offensive threat for the Longhorns, whether or not he scores. Ford has the uncanny ability to get the ball to his teammates allowing them to score when he does not.
Oklahoma guard Hollis Price (19.2 ppg) is another Big 12 guard who is vying for college basketball's top man award. His defense is strong, as he has averaged two steals a game over the course of the season. Price's only downfall over the course of the season was his performance against No. 16 Oklahoma State Jan. 13 when he had only six points, four assists and two rebounds. This performance will factor into whether or not Price gets the award.
Arizona senior guard Jason Gardner is leading the nation's No. 1 team to a Pac-10 title this season. The Indianapolis native averages 15 points, five assists and four rebounds a game. In a big game against No. 6 Kansas, Gardner had 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists against a tough Jayhawks team.
No. 6 Kansas is on its way to winning the Big 12 title, and senior forward Nick Collison is helping Kansas going into March Madness. Collison is surrounded by great talent at Kansas, yet he leads the team in scoring and rebounds. In big games, Collison has put up the big numbers when it was needed. Against Texas Jan. 27, Collison had 24 points and 23 rebounds in a 90-87 victory.
Senior guard Reece Gaines of Louisville is the frontrunner for the Conference USA Player of the Year. In a head-to-head match-up against Marquette guard Dwyane Wade Feb. 15, Gaines scored 20 points, including a three pointer with seconds left to beat Marquette 73-70. Gaines, a Madison native, averages 19 points and five assists a game.
From the mid-majors, forward Kyle Korver (18.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg) of Creighton has been a key to the Blue Jays' success. Korver is the second leading scorer in the Missouri Valley Conference, and since Creighton has a knack for surprising teams in the Big Dance, if Korver can lead the Blue Jays to a few wins in March, do not rule him out for the Player of the Year.
Obviously, this year's Player of the Year race is very tight, and will most likely come down to whichever team does the best during the rest of the Big Ten season and throughout March. If any one of these players can help lead their team deep into the Madness, they should be able to walk away with the honor.
