The Wooden Award has announced its late-season top-20.
Among them are frontrunners Josh Hart of Villanova and Frank Mason of Kansas along with six freshmen.
The award is given annually the country’s best player, with recent winners Buddy Hield (Oklahoma), Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin) and DOug McDermott (Creighton).
In NBC Sports’ power rankings, released yesterday, we’ve got Mason with the edge currently over Hart. Mason was brilliant, albeit in a loss, against Iowa State last weekend and helped the Jayhawks stave off another upset Monday in a road win at Kansas State. Hart had a similarly strong week, just against lighter competition. The Wildcat senior has fewer high-profile opportunities left to make his case than Mason, but there’s still time for him to take over the top spot.
Central Michigan’s Marcus Keene, who leads the country with better than 30 points per game, appeared on the list for the first time, making him the only mid-major player on the list.
Here’s the full 20:
| Name | School | Conference | Height | Class | Position |
| Dwayne Bacon | Florida State | ACC | 6-7 | Soph. | G |
| Lonzo Ball | UCLA | Pac-12 | 6-6 | Fr. | G |
| Joel Berry II | North Carolina | ACC | 6-0 | Jr. | G |
| Dillon Brooks | Oregon | Pac-12 | 6-7 | Jr. | F |
| Bonzie Colson | Notre Dame | ACC | 6-5 | Jr. | F |
| De’Aaron Fox | Kentucky | SEC | 6-3 | Fr. | G |
| Markelle Fultz | Washington | Pac-12 | 6-4 | Fr. | G |
| Ethan Happ | Wisconsin | Big Ten | 6-10 | Soph. | F |
| Josh Hart | Villanova | Big East | 6-5 | Sr. | G |
| Josh Jackson | Kansas | Big 12 | 6-8 | Fr. | G |
| Justin Jackson | North Carolina | ACC | 6-8 | Jr. | F/G |
| Marcus Keene | Central Michigan | MAC | 5-9 | Jr. | G |
| Luke Kennard | Duke | ACC | 6-6 | Soph. | G |
| Lauri Markkanen | Arizona | Pac-12 | 7-0 | Fr. | F |
| Frank Mason III | Kansas | Big 12 | 5-11 | Sr. | G |
| Malik Monk | Kentucky | SEC | 6-3 | Fr. | G |
| Johnathan Motley | Baylor | Big 12 | 6-10 | Jr. | F |
| Caleb Swanigan | Purdue | Big Ten | 6-9 | Soph. | F |
| Melo Trimble | Maryland | Big Ten | 6-3 | Jr. | G |
| Nigel Williams-Goss | Gonzaga | WCC | 6-3 | Jr. | G |