A year ago, a pair of seniors who wound up battling for the Wooden Award: Buddy Hield and Denzel Valentine. This season, the preseason favorite is clearly Duke junior wing Grayson Allen, but the race appears as wide open as ever.
Allen earned a spot on my first team of All-Americans, but I feel as though this Blue Devils team will be far more balanced with the addition of freshmen Jayson Tatum, Frank Jackson, Harry Giles and Marques Bolden.
Therefore, I've decided to go elsewhere for my choice for the player of the year, to a guy who also could wind up being the No. 1 overall NBA draft pick come June.
National player of the year: Markelle Fultz, Washington
The Maryland native went across the country to play for Lorenzo Romar at Washington, and he can do it all: score, pass, rebound, lead and also defend. He's not ultra-athletic, but he's athletic enough, has a high basketball IQ and should carry the somewhat unknown Huskies into the NCAA tournament. The only thing that could hold him back is playing for a team that won't get as much attention as the blue bloods.
Defensive player of the year: Chris Boucher, Oregon
The long and athletic Canadian is a game-changer on the defensive end. He averaged nearly three blocks per game last season -- his first in Division I basketball.
First team
F: Josh Jackson, freshman, Kansas Jayhawks
His offensive numbers may not be eye-popping, but his impact on the game on both ends of the court will be impossible to ignore. Jackson does just about everything. He's tough, he gets to the basket and finishes, defends, passes, and rebounds.
F: Josh Hart, senior, Villanova Wildcats
He's not flashy but is effective because of his versatility. He defends multiple positions, scores in a variety of ways and rebounds. Hart was the leading scorer on the team that won the national title in April. He has earned a spot on the first team.
C: Ivan Rabb, sophomore, California Golden Bears
Rabb could have been an NBA lottery pick in June, but he opted to return to Cal to make sure he was ready to play in the NBA once he gets there. He has a nice blend of size, skill and athleticism -- and should have a consistent double-double line this year.
G: Markelle Fultz, freshman, Washington Huskies
He has so much to his game, which is why he's my pick for preseason player of the year.
G: Grayson Allen, junior, Duke Blue Devils
He returned to Durham despite the likelihood that he would been a first-round pick. Also, his numbers are almost certain to dip with the addition of so many talented freshman. Allen will still score plenty, and he'll also have the ball in his hands a ton.
Second team
F : Dillon Brooks, junior, Oregon Ducks
There isn't much that the versatile Canadian doesn't do for the Ducks. He can be a scorer and a facilitator for Dana Altman. The key, though, is how he'll recover from an offseason foot injury.
F: Caleb Swanigan, sophomore, Purdue Boilermakers
He continues to get in better shape, but he nearly averaged a double-double as a frosh while playing alongside 7-footer A.J. Hammons. Swanigan is a tough matchup because of his ability to score on the block and also on the perimeter.
C: Thomas Bryant, sophomore, Indiana Hoosiers
The native New Yorker had a solid freshman campaign in Bloomington, but now he'll be more of a focal point of the offense. He's big, skilled and should be able to dominate most Big Ten frontcourts.
G: Monte Morris, senior, Iowa State Cyclones
It's now Morris' team as Georges Niang is gone. Morris has always displayed the ability to take care of and distribute the ball, and he displayed more of an appetite for scoring last season. He's just solid in every sense of the word. He ranked third in the country last season in assist-to-turnover ratio at 4.23-to-1.
G: Jawun Evans, sophomore, Oklahoma State Cowboys
He was somewhat under the radar last season, especially because he missed the final nine games of the season with an injury. But Evans belongs in the conversation with the elite floor leaders in America.
Third team
F: Jayson Tatum, freshman, Duke
The St. Louis native is exceptionally versatile and skilled. He's capable of scoring in a variety of ways but also can really pass it well for someone his size. He'll likely be Duke's second-leading scorer behind Allen.
F: Tyler Lydon, sophomore, Syracuse Orange
He came off the bench for a Syracuse team that wound up getting to the Final Four last season, and this year he'll have a bigger role. He's a guy who can step out and shoot it, and he also gives the Orange a presence defensively in the 2-3 zone.
C: Edrice Adebayo, freshman, Kentucky Wildcats
Adebayo is a big man who plays hard and is a tremendous athlete. He has the potential for a double-double on any given night. The key for Adebayo will be adjusting to not always being able to physically overpower opponents in college as he was able to do in high school.
G: Edmond Sumner, sophomore, Xavier Musketeers
Sumner won't be a surprise to opponents this year as was the case a year ago. He has got the length and athleticism to bother opposing point guards, and he also displayed the capability to make his teammates better.
G: Antonio Blakeney, sophomore, LSU Tigers
Ben Simmons, Tim Quarterman and Keith Hornsby are all gone, and that will open it up for this to be Blakeney's team. He's a high-level athlete who learned about shot selection last season and also began to really defend. I wouldn't be shocked if he averages 20 points per game this year.
20 on the cusp
Giles (Duke), Melo Trimble (Maryland), Miles Bridges (Michigan State), Dennis Smith Jr. (NC State), Joel Berry II (North Carolina), Malik Monk (Kentucky), Jaron Blossomgame (Clemson), Yante Maten (Georgia), Nigel Williams-Goss (Gonzaga), Justin Jackson (North Carolina), Bronson Koenig (Wisconsin), Nigel Hayes (Wisconsin), Trevon Bluiett (Xavier), Lauri Markkanen (Arizona), Boucher (Oregon), Moses Kingsley (Arkansas), Carlton Bragg Jr. (Kansas), London Perrantes (Virginia), De'Aaron Fox (Kentucky), Malcolm Hill (Illinois)