In contrast to the Heisman Trophy, the Wood Award has not been pigeonholed by place. Since 1990, all however three Heisman winners both performed quarterback or working again.
In contrast, the Wood Award has topped 12 “bigs,” seven level guards, seven “wings” and 6 facilities since 1990. Suffice to say, it’s an equal alternative award. And that holds true this season.
Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe (16.2 ppg, 15.3 rpg) presently sits at 3/2 at BetMGM because the market favourite, but it surely’s value noting if he have been to win, he’d be the lowest-scoring Wood Award winner since Anthony Davis in 2012 (14.2 ppg).
Tshiebwe is the highest canine proper now by advantage of his rebounding prowess, which opens the door, in my view, for him to be flanked by a higher-scoring participant who provides Wood voters extra “wow issue.”
Listed here are two gamers I believe might make a transfer down the ultimate stretch and edge out Tshiebwe on the poll field.
Johnny Davis (6/1)
To say Davis has come out of nowhere could be an understatement. The homegrown Wisconsin expertise has tripled his scoring output, whereas doubling each his rebounding and help totals 12 months over 12 months.
He's the Badgers’ offensive engine, and is carrying them to the verge of a Massive Ten title. Wisconsin now sits a half sport out of first place within the convention with each alternative to leapfrog Purdue and Illinois within the coming weeks.
Of the Badgers’ 5 remaining video games, they've a pair of layups (Minnesota, Nebraska), a house tilt towards Michigan, a highway revenge spot towards Rutgers and a pivotal showdown towards Purdue sandwiched within the center.
It units up for Davis to showcase his immense expertise on the way in which to a title, and that’s the form of stage that voters affiliate with eventual winners.
Davis has already stepped up in large spots this 12 months, together with a 30-point outing towards Houston, a 37 and 14 outburst at Purdue and a 22 and 15 night time in a shedding effort towards Illinois.
There will likely be no room for morale victories — even with large stat strains — so which means Davis and the Badgers would both want a clear sweep of their remaining 5 video games or a 4-1 exhibiting with a win at Purdue. Nonetheless, I believe they've the products to get it accomplished. At 6/1, I’m at the very least prepared to search out out.
Kofi Cockburn (6/1)
12 months over 12 months, Cockburn has improved his manufacturing, seemingly throughout the board. He has elevated his factors per sport common by practically 4 factors and is raking in additional rebounds, as effectively (+1.9 over 2020-’21).
When he hits his scoring common (21.4 ppg), Illinois is undefeated. When he fails to hit 19 factors or extra, the Preventing Illini are decidedly extra mortal (4-3 SU). He's every little thing to a workforce that's presently seeded on the four-line, in response to BracketMatrix.
Like Davis, a regular-season title would go a good distance in serving to Cockburn leapfrog Tshiebwe, whose Kentucky Wildcats are all however drawing useless within the SEC regular-season title race (two video games behind Auburn and the tiebreaker working towards them).
Can Illinois get it accomplished with a remaining stretch that options 4 opponents with successful convention data?
That may be a tough query to reply, however given the actual fact Cockburn would be the first 20 and 10 participant from a serious convention since 2018, I imagine there's a path to the Wood Award that doesn’t necessitate his workforce successful a regular-season convention championship.
Any quantity higher than 4/1 is beneficiant sufficient to roll the cube on probably the most well-rounded large man in faculty basketball.
Mike Calabrese analyzes faculty basketball for Motion Community.
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