Many people in the college basketball world will argue that Michigan State is the frontrunner to win the National Championship in the upcoming NCAA tournament. The main reason people feel that way is because Denzel Valentine has been playing at an All-American level all season long.
Another player that has been producing big-time this year and is likely a surefire All-American is Buddy Hield. He has led Oklahoma to an outstanding season, and while they are a huge risk come tournament time, they are in good shape to make some noise this month, as well.
Hield and Valentine have a lot in common, including having gotten their teams to the number one ranking at some point this season but they are also both semifinalists for the Naismith Trophy. The list of the 10 semifinalists for the award was just announced with Hield and Valentine as the headliners. The other eight players are Grayson Allen (Duke), Kris Dunn (Providence), Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia), Brice Johnson (UNC), Jakob Poeltl (Utah), Ben Simmons (LSU), Tyler Ulis (Kentucky) and Jarrod Uthoff (Iowa).
With the semifinalists having been announced, the picture is starting to become clearer. All of these guys are having tremendous seasons, but only one can win the award, and there are a lot of factors. Ben Simmons likely gets the most fanfare, but his team is not very good, so that likely eliminates him, for example.
Many people would agree that this is a two-horse race between Hield and Valentine and that trying to pick one is like splitting hairs. Hield has the better scoring stats, but Valentine's stat line is fuller. Both players are essential components to their teams, but their teams are also loaded with other talent. It is extremely hard to pick a winner between the two this season, but I give the slight edge to Hield.
Hield is averaging 25.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while shooting statistics are other worldly. The 22-year-old has made 49 percent of his field goals and 48 percent of his threes while also providing help on the glass from the shooting guard position. Valentine's numbers are great, too, as he is averaging 19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game while shooting 47 percent from the field and 45 percent from three. Just based on the stats, Hield gets the slightest of edges, but you really can't go wrong picking either of the two.
The next step in announcing the Naismith Player of the Year will be cutting the list down to four players on March 20. After that, a winner will be selected during the Final Four on April 3, and it has certainly been a fun race to follow thus far.
