Latest 2023-24 Men's College Basketball National Player of the Year Rankings | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
12.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.1 APG, 2.5 SPG, 54.1% 3PT

Sheppard is an elite shooter and defender, but he's simply too unselfish for NPOY, dropping out of our top 10 because he last scored 15 points in a contest during the Dec. 2 loss to UNC-Wilmington. If he ever decides to start taking more than seven shots per game, though, he could storm back into the top five in a hurry. If he doesn't, look for teammate Antonio Reeves to take Sheppard's spot among the NPOY candidates in our next ranking.

Braden Smith, Purdue
12.0 PPG, 7.1 APG, 5.3 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 43.5% 3PT

It still blows my mind that the Wooden Award committee did not have Smith in its midseason Top 25, as the sophomore point guard is at least 80 percent as indispensable for the Boilermakers as Zach Edey has been. Smith has tallied at least six assists in 15 of Purdue's 18 games, and he's scoring in double figures more often than not.

Isaiah Stevens, Colorado State
17.1 PPG, 7.2 APG, 3.0 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 46.7% 3PT

Stevens' chances of being named a Wooden Award finalist at the end of the year took a sizable hit in the recent losses to Boise State and Utah State. But even after those games, he's still 1-of-1 in the nation averaging at least 15 points and seven assists per game. If the Rams can bounce back to win the Mountain West and secure a top-four seed, their do-it-all leader should get some serious love for first-team All-American.

Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M
19.5 PPG, 3.9 APG, 3.4 RPG, 2.4 SPG

It was a toss-up between Taylor and Iowa State's Tamin Lipsey for our final honorable mention...until Taylor went out and scored 41 against Arkansas on Tuesday night. It did come in a losing effort, as did his 35-point game against Florida Atlantic and his 34-point game against Houston. But he played absurdly well in those games, as well as in last Saturday's win over Kentucky (31 points, six rebounds, five assists, one turnover). But if you prefer Lipsey here because Iowa State hasn't suffered seven losses and might actually play its way into a top-four seed, point taken.