There has been a contrast between the drama on the floor during the 2023-24 men's college basketball season, the constant changes at the top of the rankings and the steady stream of upsets -- and the race for the Wooden Award.
Purdue's Zach Edey was the heavy favorite entering the season and has done nothing to lose the top spot. The Boilermakers won the Big Ten again, they will be a 1-seed again, and their 7-foot-4 star is even better than last season.
But everything else, from Coach of the Year to the All-America teams? That's all up for debate. Candidates have shifted seemingly every other week as teams and players rise and fall.
Before the regular season comes to a close this weekend, let's hand out some awards.
Player of the Year: Zach Edey, Purdue Boilermakers
The Player of the Year race was over before Thanksgiving. Edey torched a loaded Maui Invitational field to the tune of 25.3 points and 13.0 rebounds in three games, essentially locking up the award. He's even more dominant than he was last season, ranking second nationally in points (24.0) and third in rebounds (11.8) entering this week. He has scored 30 points or more seven times in Big Ten play. Edey will be the first repeat Wooden Award winner since Virginia's Ralph Sampson won the 1982 and 1983 awards.
Runner-up: Dalton Knecht, Tennessee Volunteers
Knecht has been sensational offensively all season for the Vols, and his enormous single-game performances have at times sparked conversation about whether there could be a race for Player of the Year. There isn't a race, but he's still good enough to lead the Vols to a Final Four.
Coach of the Year: Dan Hurley, UConn Huskies
It doesn't often happen that the coach of the reigning national champion is in the mix for Coach of the Year the following season. But Hurley's situation is unique. First, the Huskies weren't picked to win the Big East. Or finish second. They were picked third in the preseason league poll, not receiving a single first-place vote. They lost three starters from that championship-winning team to the NBA and dealt with injuries to three of their five starters entering the first day of this season. And yet, they're going to enter the NCAA tournament with the best chance to repeat since Florida in 2006 and 2007.
Runners-up: Lamont Paris, South Carolina Gamecocks; Kyle Smith, Washington State Cougars; and T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State Cyclones
South Carolina was picked dead last in the SEC preseason poll after finishing 11-21 overall and 4-14 in SEC play in Paris' first season in Columbia. But the Gamecocks entered the week just one game back of first place in the league standings and are headed to their first NCAA tournament since 2017. Meanwhile, Smith has Washington State dancing for the first time since 2008 and only a half-game out of first place in the Pac-12 standings entering the week. With Iowa State's win over BYU on Wednesday, the Cyclones can finish no lower than second in the Big 12 and have a shot at a share of the regular-season title entering the final weekend. Not bad for Otzelberger, whose team was picked seventh in the league preseason poll.
Freshman of the Year: Reed Sheppard, Kentucky Wildcats
In a battle of Kentucky reserves, Sheppard might have just edged out Rob Dillingham with his 32-point, 7-assist outing last week in the win at Mississippi State, a performance that included the game-winning floater in the final seconds. Sheppard has started only five games for the Wildcats, but he has been incredibly efficient. He leads the nation in 3-point shooting at an otherworldly 51.7% and was averaging 12.4 points, 4.3 assists and 2.6 steals entering the week.
Josh Hubbard ties it with a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left, but Reed Sheppard comes down and hits a floater to win it for the Wildcats.
Runner-up: Rob Dillingham, Kentucky Wildcats
There might not be a more fun player in men's college basketball than Dillingham, who has started only one game in Lexington this season but is averaging 14.8 points and 3.8 assists, and he is shooting 43.4% from 3. He had 35 against Tennessee in early February.
Defensive Player of the Year: Jamal Shead, Houston Cougars
After a missed shot, Jamal Shead sinks a short jumper with 0.4 seconds left to give Houston the win over Oklahoma.
He's the best defender on the best defensive team in the country by a wide margin. Shead is the head of the snake at both ends of the floor, but his impact defensively is constantly talked about by opposing coaches. He harasses opponents at the point of attack, is active in passing lanes, looks to create turnovers and understands Kelvin Sampson's defensive tactics. He is racking up more than two steals per game this season.
Runner-up: Ryan Dunn, Virginia Cavaliers
The wheels falling off Virginia down the stretch has taken some of the shine off the Cavaliers, but that's mostly on the offensive end. Defensively, they're elite, and Dunn is a game-changer. He is 6-8, blocks shots, gets into passing lanes -- and he single-handedly affects opposing offenses.
Mid-major Coach of the Year: Danny Sprinkle, Utah State Aggies
Picked ninth in the preseason Mountain West poll, Utah State entered the week tied for first with a legitimate shot at taking home the regular-season title in Sprinkle's first year at the helm. Sprinkle arrived in Logan after four years at Montana State, bringing two Big Sky stars with him in Great Osobor and Darius Brown II. He guided his new team to a 15-game winning streak earlier this season with a win over San Diego State in late February that proved the team was no fluke.
Runner-up: Amir Abdur-Rahim, South Florida Bulls
It's truly incredible what Abdur-Rahim has done in his first season with the Bulls. They won the AAC regular-season title with weeks to spare, they're ranked in the top 25 for the first time in program history. And remember, this is a program that had never finished .500 in AAC play until this season.
Transfer of the Year: Dalton Knecht, Tennessee Volunteers
Dalton Knecht gets to his spot and knocks down the contested triple for Tennessee.
Given he was the runner-up for Player of the Year, this award can go to only Knecht. The Northern Colorado transfer stepped on the floor in the preseason and was immediately the best player in Knoxville. He's a truly elite offensive player, capable of huge performances: 39 points vs. Auburn, 39 points vs. Florida, 37 points vs. North Carolina, 36 points vs. Georgia. He is averaging 20.6 points and shooting better than 40% from 3 entering the week.
Runner-up: Caleb Love, Arizona Wildcats
Love is having the best, and most efficient, season of his college career -- for a top-five team in the country. He's also the clear favorite for Pac-12 Player of the Year. He has completely bought in to Tommy Lloyd's system, and it has paid off: He's averaging 19.4 points and 3.5 assists.
Breakout star: Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State Aztecs
Jaedon Ledee gets up for the beautiful slam dunk
Entering November, LeDee had started four games in four seasons and his career high in points per game was 7.9. Through 28 games this season, though, the former Ohio State and TCU transfer is averaging 20.8 points and 8.4 rebounds and is leading the Aztecs to a potential top-five seed on Selection Sunday. He scored at least 21 points in his first five games of the season and hasn't slowed down since, notching at least 20 points in each of his past six games before Tuesday.
Runner-up: Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas Jayhawks
For most of his four seasons at Texas Tech and Kansas, McCullar was known as a versatile defender who could make an open shot and be a third or fourth option offensively. With Bill Self short on consistent playmakers, though, McCullar has stepped up to the tune of 19.1 points, 6.4 boards and 4.3 assists per game.
Biggest surprise: Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State defends home court and takes down Oklahoma
Picked seventh in the preseason Big 12 poll, Iowa State entered the week just one game behind Houston in the league standings and on track for a potential 2-seed in the NCAA tournament. It's another incredible job by coach T.J. Otzelberger, who has the Cyclones playing some of the best defense in the country (actually slightly better than Houston's in league play). This team is tough and physical, and Tamin Lipsey and Keshon Gilbert form an underrated backcourt.
Runners-up: South Carolina Gamecocks and BYU Cougars
South Carolina rightly deserves attention, but let's talk about BYU a moment. The Cougars were picked 13th in the Big 12 preseason poll, but impressive metrics and six Quadrant 1 wins have them poised for a 5- or 6-seed in the NCAA tournament.
Biggest disappointment: Michigan State Spartans
Yes, Michigan State is still likely to make the NCAA tournament, but this was a preseason top-five team with legitimate Final Four hopes that was clinging to its tournament life entering the final week of the regular season. Things started going downhill with a home loss to James Madison on the first day of the season and have been up and down since. Because of the Spartans' experience and talent at the top of the roster, there is still optimism for a tourney run, but right now, the season hasn't lived up to expectations.
Runners-up: Arkansas Razorbacks and Miami Hurricanes
Both teams were ranked in the top 15 in the preseason and neither one will hear its name on Selection Sunday. Arkansas lost at home to UNC Greensboro in the fourth game of the season, and things went downhill from there, while Miami started 11-2 but lost 12 of its next 16 games.
ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
First team
Zach Edey, Purdue Boilermakers: He waltzed to his first Wooden Award honor last year and is even better this season. He's a better passer, more mobile and more impactful defensively, in addition to continuing to put up elite-level scoring and rebounding numbers.
Dalton Knecht, Tennessee Volunteers: Knecht is the main reason for Tennessee's dramatic improvement on the offensive end. He has been the best perimeter scorer in college basketball this season, putting up 20.6 points per game. His lone stretch of less-than-stellar offensive output was due to an ankle injury.
RJ Davis, North Carolina Tar Heels: The clear-cut favorite for ACC Player of the Year, Davis ranks in the top 10 nationally in scoring at 21.5 points per game while also shooting nearly 42% from 3-point range. He had 42 points in a game against Miami and is on track to have the highest single-season scoring average for a Carolina guard since Charlie Scott in 1968-69.
Jamal Shead, Houston Cougars: As discussed earlier, Shead is the best defender on the best defense in the country. He's also the team's second-leading scorer and the guy who gets the ball late in games when Houston needs a basket. He's averaging career highs across the board this season in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and 3-point shooting.
Caleb Love, Arizona Wildcats: Love edges Tyler Kolek for the final spot on the first team. His consistency has been key for a Wildcats team that's poised for a Pac-12 title and potential 1-seed. He has scored in double figures in every game since Nov. 13 and has been even better in league play than in the nonconference part of the schedule.
Second team
Tyler Kolek, Marquette Golden Eagles: Kolek is sidelined by an oblique injury but is expected to return for the postseason. He has been one of the best point guards in the country for two years, leading the nation in assists this season. He averaged 20.4 points and 9.6 assists during Marquette's eight-game Big East winning streak this year.
Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas Jayhawks: McCullar has been hampered by a bone bruise on his knee for several weeks but returned to post 20 points against Baylor and 19 against Kansas State. It has been a welcome boost for the Jayhawks' struggling offense. One of the breakout stars of this season, McCullar is averaging 19.1 points, 6.2 boards and 4.3 assists.
Mark Sears, Alabama Crimson Tide: The leading scorer on the nation's best offense, Sears has scored at least 20 points in 12 of his past 13 games, including 33 in Tuesday's loss at Florida. After taking a backseat offensively last season, Sears has been the focal point for coach Nate Oats in 2023-24, averaging 21.1 points and 4.0 assists, and shooting 44.2% from 3-point range.
Johni Broome, Auburn Tigers: Broome's two-way ability has been one of the main reasons for Auburn's surprising run to a top-four seed this season. He has been the SEC's best rebounder and one of its best shot-blockers, while also averaging 16.4 points and shooting nearly 55% from the field. He has also added a 3-point shot to his game.
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas Jayhawks: After putting up 27 points and 21 rebounds in Kansas' November win over Kentucky, some thought Dickinson could push Edey for Wooden Award honors. That hasn't quite happened, but the former Michigan transfer is still averaging 18.2 points and 11.0 rebounds for a top-15 team in college basketball.
Third team
Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State Aztecs: The 6-9 breakout star has been one of the most productive and efficient players in the country this season. Drawing fouls at an incredibly high rate and dominating on the offensive glass, LeDee is up to 20.5 points and 8.3 boards per game on the campaign.
Baylor Scheierman, Creighton Bluejays: Scheierman has made a run at Big East Player of the Year over the past several weeks, averaging 20.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists in nine games entering the week. This, after going for 26 and 16 against Marquette last weekend. He is averaging 18.5 points and 8.9 boards for the season.
DaRon Holmes II, Dayton Flyers: Holmes has been near the top of the KenPom.com Player of the Year standings all season, averaging 20.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks for a top-25 Dayton team. He's finishing the season strong, tallying five double-doubles in his past seven games and averaging 21.4 points and 10.1 rebounds over that span.
Antonio Reeves, Kentucky Wildcats: Even with Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham garnering more attention as the season progresses, Reeves might be playing his best basketball right now. He has scored at least 20 points in five straight games, averaging 22.8 points and shooting 47.8% from 3 over that span. He's averaging 20.0 points for the season.
Tristen Newton, UConn Huskies: Newton is the most productive player on a team many consider the favorite to cut down the nets again in April. He has tallied two triple-doubles, scored 31 points on the road at Kansas and generally carried over his form from last year's title game. He's averaging 15.3 points, 7.1 boards and 6.0 assists entering the week.
Honorable mention: Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois Fighting Illini; Devin Carter, Providence Friars; Kyle Filipowski, Duke Blue Devils; Boo Buie, Northwestern Wildcats