Trae Young is the overwhelming favorite for National Player of the Year. Chris Beard has separated himself from the pack for Coach of the Year. Both guys are deserving of their respective positions on the national radar, but where is the mid-major love? Which mid-major players and coaches are enjoying outstanding seasons?
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As we pass through the midway point of the college basketball season and barrel toward conference tournaments and March Madness, who is the Mid-Major Player of the Year? What about Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Most Improved Player?
Here are the HERO Sports Mid-Major Midseason Awards.
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For the sake of simplicity, mid-major teams are the 264 teams not in the seven major conferences (AAC, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC).
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Player of the Year
Jock Landale – Saint Mary's
Saint Mary's and Gonzaga's WCC dominance is taken for granted each year, which leads to stars being overlooked and unappreciated. This year it's Gales' senior forward Jock Landale.
The 6-foot-11 center is one of only three players in the country averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 60 percent from the floor and 70 percent from the line. The other two: Arizona's DeAndre Ayton and Duke's Marvin Bagley. Not terrible company.
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He's led Saint Mary's to a 15-2 start with 11 20-point games and nine double-doubles.
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Coach of the Year
Rick Stansbury – Western Kentucky
More than 20 coaches have a case for Coach of the Year. Western Kentucky's Rick Stansbury narrowly edges out Towson's Pat Skerry, Rhode Island's Dan Hurley, Nevada's Eric Musselman and others.
Stansbury has led the Hilltoppers to a 11-5 start (3-0 in Conference USA) in his second season despite a bizarre roller-coaster offseason highlighted by Mitchell Robinson saga. They rank in the top 100 in every major metric, including BPI, RPI and strength of schedule, and their five losses have come by an average of 4.4 points.
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Newcomer of the Year
Kendrick Nunn – Oakland
Kendrick Nunn's transfer from Illinois to Oakland is working out well for him and the Grizzlies.
The senior guard and Chicago native is a former four-star recruit who averaged 15.5 points for the Illini in 2015-16 before transferring. He is averaging 25.7 points on 44 percent shooting (41 percent from deep) while playing the most efficient basketball of his career.
Nunn has played 40 minutes five times and has scored at least 20 points in five of their last seven games.
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Rookie of the Year
Brandon McCoy – UNLV
Brandon McCoy could've been a stud at Arizona, Kansas or Michigan State. He chose to be a stud at UNLV instead.
The five-star prospect and 14th-ranked player in the 2017 class (247Sports) is averaging 19.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks as a freshman. McCoy, 7-foot-1 and 250 pounds, had 33 points (13-for-17) and 10 boards in an overtime loss to Arizona in early December. He has 10 double-doubles, six games with at least two blocks, two games shooting worse than 50 percent and has not fouled out in 16 games.
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Most Improved Player
Fletcher Magee – Wofford
Like Coach of the Year, the Most Improved Player could be one of 20 or more guys.
Fletcher Magee has been one of the most reliable and efficient players in the country. Wofford's junior guard has bumped his scoring average by a modest 4.7 points and is averaging fewer rebounds, assists and free-throw attempts, but his shooting clips are outrageous.
After shooting 44 percent overall, 42 percent from deep and 89 percent from the line last year, Magee is hitting 56 percent of his field goals this year thanks to a staggering 55-percent clip from beyond the arc. And he has not missed a free throw: 40-for-40. He has hit at least 60 percent of his three-point attempts in six games this year, including an 8-for-14 performance in a win over Georgia Tech.
