Last week, we declared the end of the Wooden Award race. Zion Williamson had separated himself from the field and become the Cardi B of college basketball, incomparable in his excellence and consistency, we concluded.
We even advised him to prepare the proper outfit -- preferably something that involves fleece, which was the hottest item at Fashion Week in New York City last week -- for the award ceremony. We called February a victory lap for Williamson.
Let's be clear: We haven't changed our minds. But we're intrigued by the performance of a young man in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. What will voters do with Marquette's Markus Howard? We're not sure.
Yes, Williamson continues to dominant the collegiate landscape with an ease former legends could not match. You think he's a young Charles Barkley? Well, Barkley's junior season stat line -- 15.1 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 1.1 SPG -- would represent a modest night for the Duke freshman.
But let's focus on Howard, who had his eighth 30-point game in a win over DePaul on Tuesday night. He leads all players in major conferences in 30-point games, per ESPN Stats & Info. He's a special talent. What if he leads Marquette, which has one NCAA tournament appearance in the Steve Wojciechowski era, to a Big East title? Could he pull off a Wooden Award upset?
We're not sure. But Howard should probably buy a fancy fleece, too.
Who would win the award today
Zion Williamson
Twenty-three points. Under 10 minutes to play. On the road. Versus No. 16 Louisville. And Duke won.
Williamson was on the bench with four fouls with 11 minutes to play on Tuesday night, just as Louisville built up that seemingly insurmountable lead. But when Williamson reentered the game, everything changed. Cam Reddish hit the biggest shots down the stretch of that game, but Williamson's ability to attack the rim and get to the free throw line created space for his teammates.
Here's what Williamson did after Louisville took a 23-point lead with under 10 minutes to play: 13 points (3-for-3 from the field, 7-for-8 from the free throw line), five fouls drawn, three rebounds, three steals and a block. That's ridiculous, people.
His advantage in this race, beyond his incomparable numbers, is that he continues to put together these performances in front of massive national audiences. Duke's win at Virginia on Saturday was the top original show on cable that night with 3.32 million viewers 18-to-49 watching the game, per TV By the Numbers. He has the talent, the popularity, the platform and the opportunities to build up his lead over the field in the coming weeks.
Next three contenders (all stats entering Wednesday)
Grant Williams: Tennessee fans have been infuriated by the lack of attention the best player on America's No. 1 team has received throughout the season. Williams will have opportunities in the coming weeks, however, to boost his national profile. The NBA prospect's upcoming matchups against Kentucky, the first of which will commence in Lexington on Saturday, should help him enhance his national player of the year campaign. He's also rising on NBA mock draft boards. When he's on the floor, the Vols average 120 points per 100 possessions and hold opponents to just 92 points per 100 possessions, according to hooplens.com. The latter is 10 points better compared with when Williams is on the sideline. He's a star and real contender in this race.
Markus Howard: The Marquette star is averaging 25.6 PPG and connecting on 44 percent of his 3-point attempts. He might be the most valuable player on this list. Marquette averages a subpar 0.91 points per possession when he's on the sideline. Now, he's not on the bench often, but the Golden Eagles are a different team without Howard. He's leading a top-25 offense on KenPom.com and entering the final weeks of the season with Marquette having a chance to win the Big East title. He will receive votes in this Wooden Award race if he continues to score at this clip.
Ethan Happ: Wisconsin has lost its last two games and Happ has committed 11 turnovers over that stretch. But he's still top-15 nationally in assist rate, he's made 55 percent of his shots inside the arc and Wisconsin is basically Southern Utah (0.96 points per possession) on offense when he's on the bench. We've referenced the value of team success in the Wooden Award race multiple times. So if this slide continues for Wisconsin, Happ's odds of contending will decrease, even if his numbers don't. Right now, however, he's the leader of an NCAA tournament team and has one of America's most elaborate stat lines for a big man: 18.4 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.2 BPG, 1.0 SPG.
The other contenders
Ja Morant: 23.9 PPG, 10.2 APG, 2.0 SPG
RJ Barrett: 22.7 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 37.7 percent from beyond the arc in ACC play
Rui Hachimura: 20.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.0 SPG
Carsen Edwards: 24.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.3. APG
Dedric Lawson: 19.4 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 1.2 SPG
Cassius Winston: 18.8 PPG, 7.4 APG, 45 percent from beyond the 3-point line
Brandon Clarke: 16.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.1 BPG
De'Andre Hunter: 14.7 PPG, 78 percent from the free throw line
Jordan Caroline: 19.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 44.3 percent from beyond the 3-point line
PJ Washington: Has scored 20 or more points in six of the last seven games