Wooden Watch: Week 6
The first month of the college basketball season has concluded, and the results were much different than what was predicted. AP No. 1 teams are 6-4 this season, which would be the worst win percentage by No. 1 teams in history. As a result, there has also been lots of turnover in the Wooden Watch thus far.
Myles Powell, Seton Hall
Powell is one of the best players in the country, leading the Pirates to a 6-3 record with their losses coming from No. 3 Michigan State, No. 11 Oregon, and Iowa State on the road. Nonetheless, the 6-foot-2-inch guard is averaging 23 points per game and shooting over 41% from the field. The sharpshooter would be averaging 27 points per game if he didn’t leave the Stony Brook game early with an injury. Powell also excels on defense, averaging two steals a game.
Cole Anthony, North Carolina
The highly-touted freshman has only exceeded expectations playing for the Tar Heels. Despite North Carolina losing twice this past week, Anthony has been most impressive with his versatile play, as heads the team in points (20), assists (four) and steals (two) per game. He also averages nearly eight boards per contest.
Cassius Winston, Michigan State
Michigan State has struggled this year, but Winston’s play remains superb despite dealing with the death of his brother. The 6-foot-1-inch point guard is responsible for 17 points and six assists per game. Winston separates himself from other guards in college basketball thanks to his playmaking. Every possession, he finds ways to get his teammates involved by quickly pushing the ball up the court and creating his own shots, as he averages 43% from the field.
Obi Tobbin, Dayton
Tobbin has emerged as an early candidate to be college basketball’s best player after leading his team to wins over Virginia Tech, Georgia and Saint Mary’s. Dayton also took Kansas to overtime. The 6-foot-9-inch forward averages nearly a double-double each game, producing 21 points and eight rebounds on average.
Markus Howard, Marquette
Howard is the favorite to win the Wooden Award this year after making a surprising return to Milwaukee to complete his senior season. Howard is essential for the Golden Eagles’ success, as the team's two losses came when the guard shot less than 30% from the field. Despite that, Howard has scored 51, 40 and 38 points against USC, Davidson and Loyola (Md.), respectively. It will be interesting to see how he improves his draft stock from this point of the season on, as he’s currently shooting 45% from the 3-point line and 86% from the free-throw line.
Matthew White is a sophomore studying broadcast journalism. To contact him, email mmw42@psu.edu.
