Bossi's Best: Player of the Year Watch

RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2019 Team Rankings

We are a little over a month through the college basketball season and the Player of the Year race is as wide open as it has ever been. Duke's Zion Williamson holds the top spot in this week's Bossi's Best as national basketball analyst Eric Bossi debuts his National Player of the Year Watch.

MORE: Three-Point Play | Twitter Tuesday mailbag | Bossi hands out awards from Arizona

How he got here: One of the most closely followed recruits of the Rivals.com era, Williamson surprised most of the recruiting world when he picked Duke over Clemson, Kentucky and others midway through his senior season.

This season: 20.4 points, 9.0 rebounds per game.

Analysis: There hasn't been a more exciting or talked-about player in college basketball this season than Williamson, and despite not being one of college basketball's undefeated teams, Duke is arguably the best team in the land. Can he keep up his ridiculous production as the competition improves and teams continue to game plan for him? We'll see. But for now, he's the Player of the Year.

How he got here: Gonzaga went out and did what Gonzaga does. They scoured all corners of the globe and found Hachimura in Japan. Rivals.com was not able to scout Hachimura prior to his arrival in Spokane.

This season: 22.2 points, 6.4 rebounds per game.

Analysis: The analysis here is that Hachimura is a stud. He's built lots of game around his athletic frame and he's a big reason why Gonzaga has gotten off to such a strong start without one of their best players, Killian Tillie.

How he got here: One of the most decorated high school players of all time and arguably the best prospect that Canada has ever produced, Barrett picked Duke over Kentucky and Oregon prior to the start of his senior year.

This season: 24.2 points, 7.2 rebounds per game.

Analysis: While Barrett currently ranks No. 3 on this list, he has a pretty healthy argument for the top spot. He's scored at will, has been taking better shots as the season progresses and has been productive across the board. He arrived in Durham with a huge reputation and has lived up to all expectations.

How he got here: A native of Memphis, Lawson initially signed with Memphis where his father, Keelon, was on staff. After two seasons and inheriting a new head coach in Tubby Smith, Lawson and his brother, K.J., both transferred to Kansas.

This season: 19.1 points, 10.6 rebounds per game.

Analysis: Bill Self spent the entire 2017-18 season saying that Lawson was his best practice player and expectations were that he could compete for All-American honors. So far, Lawson has lived up to the hype. Three-point shooting heroics from LaGerald Vick have saved the Jayhawks a few times, but Lawson has been their best player.

How he got here: Relatively under the radar in high school, Happ received his first high-major offer from Wisconsin in June of 2012 between his sophomore and junior year. Within a few weeks, he acted on that offer and committed to the Badgers.

This season: 19.3 points, 10.8 rebounds per game.

Analysis: Talk about gradual improvement. After a redshirt year Happ has gotten better each year in Madison. He'll finish his career as a 2,000-point and 1,000-rebound guy, and along the way he's developed into an outstanding passer and very good defender. The only knock against him is that he's a poor free throw shooter, which could hurt him and the Badgers down the line.

How he got here: An animal competitor in high school, Williams had many fans but few high-major programs were willing to pull the trigger on a guy seen as an undersized center. Rick Barnes and Tennessee were all in, and Williams ultimately picked the Vols over Ivy League programs.

This season: 19.9 points, 9.3 rebounds per game.

Analysis: Williams has been a stud and proven to have been a miss by Rivals.com and many college coaches. His all-around game, toughness and skill have turned him into one of college basketball's most unique players, and he's been a huge part of Tennessee's rise under Barnes.

How he got here: An under-the-radar prospect who wasn't seen much outside of the Southeast, Morant was never evaluated by Rivals, but he scored a bevy of offers, including one from South Carolina, during the summer before his senior year. He felt at home with Murray State and committed during an official visit.

This season: 24.2 points, 8.2 assists per game.

Analysis: Because he plays for Duke, Zion Williamson gets all the talk as the nation's most exciting player, but don't sleep on Morant. He's made Murray State a must-see for NBA scouts and is putting up ludicrous numbers, considering he's grabbing over seven rebounds per game to go with his scoring and setup work. He's just too good to not be on a Player of the Year list.

How he got here: A native of Brooklyn, Ponds decided to stay home and try to help resurrect the nearly flat-lined St. John’s program rather than head to Connecticut, Providence or any of his other options.

This season: 21.6 points, 4.9 assists per game

Analysis: In a make-or-break year for St. John's, Ponds has been absolutely spectacular. He's scoring just as much as ever and dishing out as many assists as ever. But, he's doing it all in fewer minutes, with fewer turnovers and while shooting better than ever. It's actually surprising he hasn't gotten more national buzz.

FOR MORE ST. JOHN'S SPORTS NEWS, GO TO REDSTORMREPORT.COM

How he got here: Edwards put up big numbers as a high schooler but was somewhat overlooked, especially in his home state of Texas. He visited Purdue before July of his senior season and while others like Kansas State, Texas Tech and Vanderbilt looked like they could get visits, but Edwards committed in August of his senior year before seeing any other campuses.

This season: 25.5 points, 3.8 assists per game.

Analysis: When Edwards elected to return to Purdue for his junior season he was immediately named a favorite for Player of the Year. For the most part, he's lived up to that billing while doing all he can to carry the Boilermakers' offense. There aren't many stronger willed dudes in college basketball.

How he got here: We made a major mistake in dropping the native of Lubbock from the rankings (he was in the top 100 at one point). Culver had offers from Baylor, Illinois and TCU. Ultimately, he picked Texas Tech over Texas after being prioritized by Chris Beard from the day Beard landed the job.

This season: 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds per game.

Analysis: The Red Raiders are one of the season's most pleasant surprises and Culver is a big reason why. If you haven't seen him yet, he's must-see viewing because of his smooth, skilled and versatile all-around game. There is a very good chance that this will be his last season at Tech.