N ow that we are are nearing the midpoint of the 2010-2011season, it’s time to once again take a look at which players top our NCAA Player of the Year Rankings for January. Over the past month, several teams like Missouri, Xavier, and Indiana have finally succumbed to their first defeats of the season, and rightly so, our player rankings reflect that. In our final rankings of the 2011 calendar year, Ohio State big man Jared Sullinger topped our list, followed closely by Connecticut’s Jeremy Lamb, and Kentucky’s fabulous freshman Anthony Davis. But after continued top notch performances by Baylor’s Perry Jones III, Creighton’s Doug McDermott, and Kansas’ Thomas Robinson, can Sullinger hold on to the top spot? Check out our NCAA POY Rankings for January 2011:



Murray State 18.5 ppg, 4.1 ast, 3.2 reb, 1.4 stl, .486 3PT% Team Record – 18-0 Although the Racers, along with Syracuse and Baylor, remain the nation’s only undefeated teams, not many across the country have heard of Canaan, who is one of the best backcourt players in the country. The junior guard has had numerous 30+ point scoring games on the season, in addition to sinking 5 or more treys in 4 contests. The Racers stand as best a chance as any of the 3 remaining unbeatens of going undeafeated, as they are undoubtedly the class of the Ohio Valley Conference.



Missouri 17.9 ppg, 5.3 reb, 2.6 ast, 1.5 stl, .435 3PT% Team Record – 16-1 Previous Ranking – 9 While most so called experts have decided to drop Marcus from their POY rankings after just a few subpar showings over the past month, he has shown me that he belongs ranked mong the nation’s top backcourt players. Since our last rankings, Marcus has 6 double figure scoring games, include an 18 point, 11 rebound, 3 assist effort against Big 12 foe Texas. He remains one of the nation’s best perimeter shooters and is currently 2nd in the Big 12 in scoring behind the Longhorns’ J’Covan Brown. Fellow Tiger backcourt mate Kim English and imposing big man Ricardo Ratliffe also deserve credit in helping Mizzou remain ranked in the Top 10 in the polls.



Syracuse 13.7 ppg, 4.7 reb, 1.8 ast, 1.5 stl, .395 3PT% Team Record – 19-0 Previous Ranking – Honorable Mention As the best player on the nation’s top ranked team, Joseph deserves mention among the country’s elite players. Although he doesn’t put up insane scoring numbers or grab 10+ rebounds per night, he does a little bit of everything in helping the Cuse remain one of the nation’s 3 remaining undefeated teams. Joseph is shooting nearly 40% from long range, uses his above average athleticism to beat opposing forwards to the rim, and has scored in double figures in 14 games. Joseph, along with super 6th man Dion Waiters, and the much improving 2nd year center Fab Melo on the defensive side of the ball also deserve mention in helping the Orangemen off to their best start in 11 years.



Creighton 24.2 ppg, 8.4 reb, 1.4 ast, .623 FG%, .569 3PT% Team Record – 15-2 Previous Ranking – Honorable Mention As long as the Blue Jays keep winning, McDermott is beginning to get more attention as arguably the best mid-major player in the country. As this season’s version of Jimmer Fredette, he’s one of the nation’s best offensive players, ranking among the Top 5 in the country in scoring and 3 point shooting. Many question his level of competition in the Missouri Valley, but McDermott has more than done his part in helping earn Creighton a lofty top 15 national ranking. His impressive 44 point outburst vs Bradley on January 7th has also opened some eyes of NBA scouts as well.



North Carolina 16.8 ppg, 4.8 reb, 1.1 stl, .478 FG%, .442 3PT% Team Record – 15-3 Previous Ranking – 5 After a great early season start, Barnes’ play has been a tad erratic, scoring in single digits in 3 games since our last rankings. There’s no denying that Barnes has all of the skills to be a dominating offensive player, but his demeanor has been passive at times. Fellow Tarheels John Henson, Tyler Zeller, and sophomore PG Kendall Marshall also deserve mention in helping UNC to another Top 10 national ranking. Even with the uneven play at times, Barnes remains one of the nation’s elite players and should be a lock as a Lottery pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.



Michigan State 15.8 ppg, 10.1 reb, 3.4 ast, 1.5 stl, .407 3PT% Team Record – 15-3 Previous Ranking – NR Green is hands down one of the nation’s top seniors and stat stuffers. In what could have been a down year for the Spartans, Green has emerged as coach Izzo’s de-facto leader with the younger crop of Spartans like Keith Appling and Branden Dawson still finding their way as elite NCAA players. Prior to this weekend’s hiccup at the hands of Northwestern, Green had helped the Spartans reel off 15 straight wins after losing to UNC and Duke early. Green is among the Big Ten leaders in scoring, 3 point shooting, and ranks among the top 5 in the nation in rebounding behind an amazing 11 double-doubles.



Connecticut 17.9 ppg, 4.2 reb, 1.9 ast, 1.6 stl, .502 FG% Team Record – 14-3 Previous Ranking – 2 Lamb’s improvement from last season has been remarkable. There’s no denying that he is one of the most potent offensive players in the nation but his play has been erratic as of late, scoring only 39 points in his last 3 contests. When on his game, Lamb has been unstoppable, notching six 20+ point games on the season, including a 30 point outburst on the opening night vs Columbia. Fellow sophomore Shabazz Napier and the quickly developing freshman phenom Andre Drummond also deserve mention here in helping the Huskies win 9 of their last 11 contests, including a 4-2 mark in the Big East.



Kentucky 13.1 ppg, 10.2 reb, 4.6 blk, .643 FG% Team Record – 17-1 Previous Ranking – 3 While Kentucky gets outstanding production from fellow freshman and emotional leader Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Davis remains the Wildcats game-changing player. Although he still has a ways to go offensively, he either blocks or dunks everything at the rim. Davis leads the nation in blocks and is among the Top 5 in FG% and rebounding. Davis has helped the Wildcats to 9 straight wins, including a perfect 4-0 start in SEC play. Since our last rankings, Davis leads all players in double-doubles with 6. It wouldn’t be a shock to see Davis as the #1 player on everyone’s 2012 NBA Draft board.



Baylor 13.8 ppg, 7.7 reb, 1.2 ast, .556 FG% Team Record – 17-0 Previous Ranking – 6 Despite getting help from teammates Quincy Acy, Pierre Jackson, and freshman Quincy Miller, Jones remains the enigmatic player that most opposing defenses game-plan for. His amazing blend of size and athleticism have made him a match-up nightmare, helping the Bears remain one of only 3 teams still undefeated on the season. Jones still remains passive at times but has shown the ability to be unguardable when he sets his mind to it. He has 5 double digit scoring games and 2 double-doubles to his credit since our last rankings and will undoubtedly be the central figure in helping the Bears attempt to dethrone Kansas in the Big 12 race.



Kansas 17.2 ppg, 12.2 reb, 1.6 ast, .538 FG% Team Record – 14-3 Previous Ranking – 7 Is there any doubt that Robinson does more for his squad than any player in the country? Devoid of many stand-out stars on this year’s Jayhawk team, the sophomore big man has emerged from the shadows of the Morris twins last year and has become one of the most dominating low post players in college basketball. Robinson ranks among the Big 12 leaders in scoring, FG%, blocks, and steals, and is tied for the nations lead in double-doubles with 12. His 30 point, 21 rebound, 4 assist effort against North Dakota on December 31st ranks as one of the best individual games of the season. He is the key figure in the Jayhawks 7 game winning streak, including a perfect 4-0 start in the Big 12.

