CBS Sports activities faculty basketball insiders Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander spent a month surveying 100-plus Division I males’s basketball coaches for our annual Candid Coaches sequence. They polled throughout the game’s panorama: a number of the greatest names in faculty basketball, but in addition small-school assistants in low-major leagues. Coaches agreed to share unfiltered opinions in change for anonymity. We requested them 10 questions and are wrapping up our outcomes this week.
In 1958, The Sporting Information was the primary group at hand out a nationwide participant of the yr award in faculty basketball. Within the ensuing years, 5 extra voting homes emerged that gave faculty basketball six historically acknowledged nationwide participant of the yr awards: The Naismith Award, The Related Press, The Picket Award, The Nationwide Affiliation of Basketball Coaches, The Oscar Robertson Award and Sporting Information.Â
Within the six-plus a long time since, 12 males’s basketball gamers have repeated as nationwide participant of the yr by profitable the honour from one of many six NPOY outfits in back-to-back years. In some years, there may be overlap as a result of one participant took house some NPOY awards, whereas one other snagged one from a distinct group that very same season.
• Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati (’57-58, ’58-59, ’59-60)
• Jerry Lucas, Ohio State (’60-61, ’61-62)
• Invoice Bradley, Princeton (’63-64, ’64-65)
• Lew Alcindor, UCLA (’66-67, ’67-68, ’68-69)
• Pete Maravich, LSU (’68-69, ’69-70)
• Invoice Walton, UCLA (’71-72, ’72-73, ’73-74)
• David Thompson, NC State (’73-74, ’74-75)
• Mark Aguirre, DePaul (’79-80, ’80-81)
• Ralph Sampson, Virginia (’80-81, ’81-82, ’82-83)
• Michael Jordan, UNC (’82-83, ’83-84)
• Jay Williams, Duke (’00-01, ’01-02)
• Luke Garza, Iowa (’19-20, ’20-21)
As a result of faculty basketball has no Heisman Trophy analogue, the participant of the yr scenario in hoops can generally get sticky. Shane Battier gained 5 of the six NPOY awards in 2001 … however his teammate, Jay Williams, gained the NABC’s model of it that season, stopping the sweep and permitting Williams to technically go back-to-back after he gained all six in 2002. Obi Toppin gained 5 of the six in 2020, however Sporting Information opted for Garza, which then gave the Iowa large man back-to-back allowance in 2021 after he swept all six.Â
In case you’re in search of the final particular person to win NPOY in back-to-back seasons in no less than two of the large six awards — and particularly, probably the most acclaimed ones: Naismith, Picket and Robertson — it’s a must to return greater than 40 years. Sampson’s three-peat at Virginia was the final time males’s faculty basketball actually had a no-doubt-about-it repeat nationwide participant of the yr winner.Â
So, we requested 100-plus coaches:
Will Zach Edey repeat as nationwide participant of the yr? Â
For coaches who voted no, listed here are gamers who acquired a number of votes: Hunter Dickinson, Kyle Filipowski, Armando Bacot, Donovan Clingan, Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Quotes that stood out
Why Edey’s gonna do it
• “Zach Edey is probably the most dominant pressure. He continues to enhance and elevate his recreation and he shouldn’t be penalized this season for FDU’s miraculous recreation. If not for that, we might all be within the Zach Edey camp for participant of the yr.”Â
• “I do know it is all the time smarter to take the sector, however Edey simply ran away with it final season. Purdue goes to be actually, actually good once more. I simply do not see how he falls off. So I will go along with Edey. However I will not be shocked if it is one other large. Regulate Filipowski.”
• “Man places up online game numbers.”
• “Zach Edey will win Nationwide Participant of the 12 months for a second straight season except there may be voter fatigue from watching him dominate. The high-end star energy on the guard spot simply is not there and he is one of the best of the bigs.”
• “Edey is probably the most dominant pressure within the faculty recreation and the school guidelines permit him to stay dominant as a real low-post heart. There may be not a participant in America that impacts the school recreation like he does night time in and night time out. He forces a double staff on offense, is sort of unimaginable to blockout and utterly takes away the paint defensively.”
• “I feel his degree of manufacturing is at such a excessive degree that, even when he would not play nicely, his numbers are nonetheless extraordinarily spectacular and the affect he makes on profitable continues to be very excessive. And they’re going to have an excellent yr.”Â
• “It is arduous to think about another person profitable [player of the year] over Edey. He is probably the most dominant participant in faculty basketball. Final yr we performed at Purdue, and every little thing they run goes by way of him. The underrated motive why I consider he has an opportunity to repeat is he’s taking part in with nice guards in Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer. As freshmen they did a hell of a job taking part in with Edey. You’d must think about with one other yr of chemistry, Edey could also be much more dominant, if that is attainable.”
Why he’ll fall quick
• “Historical past tells us no, so I will say no. Who wins the award? That I do not know, however historical past simply tells us that it will not be Zach, so I would take the sector.”
• “It is not simply having yr. (Oscar) Tshiebwe, Kentucky had a down yr. The accidents they undergo and the game-planning for him will likely be completely totally different. It is like saying Tiger Woods vs. the sector. Despite the fact that you recognize there is a good likelihood, it is robust to go towards the sector.”Â
• “Similar to Edey final yr, someone not being mentioned and off the radar will win it.”
• “(Donovan) Clingan as a result of he had a really excessive O-rating and utilization on one of the best staff within the nation. He simply wants to take care of that degree of effectivity with extra minutes and his counting stats (factors and rebounds) will likely be player-of-the-year degree. He additionally actually impacts the sport defensively. He’s a really versatile participant, which means you do not have to be married to at least one type with him. He makes you nice in transition due to his means to rim-run, but in addition he’s an elite half-court participant who makes others higher by placing strain on the rim within the pick-and-roll.”Â
• “No, solely as a result of it is very arduous to win back-to-back. It’s important to be that a lot better than you have been the yr earlier than.”Â
The takeawayÂ
Up to now two years, Luke Garza and Oscar Tshiebwe have been the primary reigning NPOYs to return to D-I males’s faculty basketball since Tyler Hansbrough in 2008-09. None of them might rise above the remainder of the game for a second straight season. That is actually arduous to do, even while you’re already a dominant participant.
However, barring damage, I am right here to let you know Edey’s going to do it in 2024. One main motive why, as I detailed in a takeout piece on the 7-foot-4 Canadian colossus earlier this year: He is nonetheless fairly new at this basketball factor. Edey rejected basketball till halfway by way of his highschool profession. And but, right here he stands as a novel powerhouse. His ascent is unusual. Edey’s expertise are nonetheless being honed. As a result of he is so devoted, so enormous and nonetheless rising as a participant — and since he is doing this for the most effective coaches within the sport in Matt Painter — it is establishing for Edey to once more be probably the most useful and irreplaceable participant in faculty basketball.Â
His averages final season: 22.3 factors, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists to pair with 60.7% taking pictures. Edey was the primary participant in NCAA historical past since blocks grew to become an official stat to log no less than 750 factors, 400 rebounds, 70 blocks and 50 assists in a season. Even when his position barely decreases (arduous to see that taking place), Purdue is poised to once more be the most effective groups within the nation.Â
The desk is ready for Edey to repeat.Â
The story of Purdue’s push for March redemption will likely be one of many greatest in faculty hoops in ’23-24. How Edey handles new defensive techniques tossed his means will likely be one other. He might have gone to the NBA and, for my part, would have been drafted. It is higher that he determined to return. In coming again, he is chasing faculty basketball immortality. I feel he will get there and edges out the likes of Dickinson (who comfortably had probably the most write-in votes among the many coaches who mentioned Edey would not do it), Clingan, Bacot, Filipowski, Kalkbrenner, Justin Moore, Tyler Kolek or whomever you need to venture as a First Group All-American.Â
It is a great factor for males’s faculty basketball to have somebody like Edey choose again in. For him, final season was particular. This season might be legendary.Â
His dimension makes him an attraction.Â
His potential makes him, and his staff, arguably the largest story heading into the season. And once we get to the tip of it, even when Purdue would not win a nationwide championship or get Painter to his first Final Four, I consider Edey will once more be holding up his {hardware}, including to his crowded trophy case and solidifying his title amongst the all-time legends of the sport.
Earlier Candid Coaches questions:
