Dribble Handoff: Duke, Kentucky stars look to dethrone Purdue’s Zach Edey as National Player of the Year

Entering final school basketball season, Purdue middle Zach Edey ranked No. 8 on our checklist of the recreation’s Top 101 And 1 gamers and used to be venerated as a third-team preseason All-American. The 7-foot-4 behemoth used to be anticipated to tackle a bigger position for the Boilermakers in the 2022-23 marketing campaign following the departure of fellow superstar giant guy Trevion Williams.

Still, it used to be exhausting to challenge simply how dominant Edey would change into. He led the nation in double-doubles with 27, completed moment in rebounds according to sport, 6th in issues according to sport and twenty first box objective proportion. He changed into the first participant Division I in historical past on report to rank in the most sensible 25 for issues, rebounds, blocks and box objective proportion, in accordance to Purdue.

He led the Boilermakers to Big Ten common season and Tournament titles and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Though the season ended with a surprising and historical disillusioned loss to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the first around, Edey’s person excellence made it a season to be mindful for Boilermakers fanatics. When he determined to go back for a fourth yr of school basketball, he in an instant changed into the favourite to repeat as National Player of the Year. But doing so shall be difficult with lots of different gamers succesful of dethroning Edey as the maximum dominant participant in school basketball.

For this week’s version of the Dribble Handoff, our writers are establish gamers no longer named Zach Edey who may spoil thru and be school basketball’s National Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season.

Kyle Filipowski, Duke

First issues first, let the report display that I consider Zach Edey will repeat as Player of the Year. He’ll be superior once more. Purdue shall be superior once more. Barring a marvel or harm, the 7-foot-4 middle must cling all the trophies once more.

But what if he does not?

If he does not, put me down for Duke’s Kyle Filipowski, the 7-foot ahead who’s arguably the absolute best NBA prospect who returned to school after final season. In an up-and-down yr for the Blue Devils, Filipowski used to be persistently nice. He averaged 15.1 issues and eight.9 rebounds in 29.2 mins according to sport whilst incomes ACC Rookie of the Year honors. The New York local used to be anticipated to then input the 2023 NBA Draft and change into a first-round choose. Instead, he introduced a go back to Duke, solidifying the Blue Devils amongst the favorites to win the 2024 NCAA Tournament. 

Simply put, official NBA potentialities who go back for his or her sophomore seasons infrequently emerge as statistical monsters of their moment years of school. (Remember Blake Giffin at Oklahoma?) So I think Filipowski will take a noticeable bounce this season, determine himself as an All-American for a valid Final Four contender and possibly, simply possibly, problem Edey for POY awards. — Gary Parrish

Justin Edwards, Kentucky

Each of my fellow coworkers have submitted superb responses with large supporting proof, however you’ll be able to realize one key distinction in my variety — he is the simplest freshman on the checklist. There’s price in the identified, as Parrish, Cobb and Salerno have evidenced. We know Hunter Dickinson will spoil in KU’s machine. We know Kyle Filipowski shall be a big participant for Duke, and we all know Donovan Clingan used to be a celebrity in a supporting position as a freshman and now primed for a bounce — however there is additionally loads of price in the unknown.

So that is why I went with Justin Edwards.

Sure, Edwards may well be any other good-not-great freshman on a Kentucky roster stacked with skill, however he additionally may well be a celebrity who is helping lead this Kentucky workforce to a different season. I have a tendency to lean a lot additional in opposition to the latter. The former five-star recruit completed as the No. 3 general prospect in the 2023 magnificence and is the second-highest ranked recruit enjoying in school this season in the back of simplest USC’s Isaiah Collier. At 6-foot-7 he has already appeared the phase with UK this summer time as a scorer and facilitator polished well past his years. Murmurs in the back of the scenes recommend he is poised to push for All-American standing in an instant.

There’s two different five-stars on UK’s roster, and albeit, there are different five-stars with larger alternatives — like Collier — however none look as able as Edwards to marvel as a day-one superstar. If someone can soar into the POY yr race out of nowhere and push Edey this season, my cash the freshman who may finish up main one of school basketball’s absolute best groups. — Kyle Boone

Donovan Clingan, UConn 

The parallels between Edey and Clingan pass well past the incontrovertible fact that they’re each over seven ft tall. Much like Edey break up time with Trevion Williams at middle all through the 2021-22 season, Clingan break up time with Adama Sanogo at middle for the Huskies all through their nationwide identify run final yr. 

But now that Sanogo is long gone, the runway is apparent for Clingan to take off and dominate school basketball.

In simply 13.1 mins according to sport final season, Clingan averaged 6.9 issues, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks on 65.5% taking pictures. He must a minimum of double his enjoying time in the season forward and change into a point of interest of UConn’s offense amid the departures of Sanogo and most sensible perimeter weapon Jordan Hawkins. While it is not going that Clingan will surge all the approach to Edey’s 2022-23 moderate of 22.3 issues according to sport, he’s a greater rim protector than Edey and located to probably lead the country in blocks. If he can mirror Edey’s foul-averse inclinations and take care of his conditioning, Clingan will to find himself in the operating for every type of postseason honors, together with National Player of the Year. — David Cobb

Hunter Dickinson, Kansas

Ever heard the “best player on the best team” cliché? Dickinson has a possibility to be simply that for Kansas this season. The Jayhawks had been already going to be one of the maximum skilled groups in the nation. Then they went out and were given the No. 1 general participant in the switch portal who has performed in 94 occupation video games in his occupation.

Dickinson is an ideal are compatible for Kansas head trainer Bill Self. He is a standard middle who can rating in a wide range of techniques and has proven skill to be a robust rebounder and block photographs. Dickinson’s scoring manufacturing may lower as a consequence enjoying on a greater general workforce, however be mindful my first sentence. He goes to be the absolute best participant on the Jayhawks roster and they’re going to have a robust case to be the No. 1 workforce all season. 

Self and his team of workers have a historical past of running with some of the absolute best giant males in school basketball. The Jayhawks may have a possibility to junk mail pick-and-roll with Dickinson in the fold and his stepped forward skill to stretch the flooring and hit photographs from the perimeter will spice up his case to win the maximum prestigious person award in school basketball. — Cameron Salerno