College basketball's Player of the Year candidates

With conference play is in full swing, teams are posturing for conference supremacy and building their NCAA Tournament resumes. Players also are chasing down individual honors, and none is bigger than a Player of the Year Award.

Upperclassmen have dominated the awards over the last five seasons, but this season we could have the first freshman since Anthony Davis in 2012 to win the Wooden, Naismith or Associated Press National Player of the Year Awards. (Kevin Durant joins Davis as the only other freshman to do so.)

While the freshmen in Durham dominated the early-season chatter, conference play quickly can change the tide.  A freshman could very well win it, though that player may not wear "Duke" across his chest. Having said that, here are 12 players who have the best chance to become a national Player of the Year.

RJ Barrett, Duke

Zion Williamson gets much of the publicity, but Barrett leads Duke — and is among the nation's best — in scoring. He's averaging nearly 24 points while grabbing more than six rebounds and nearly four assists. Barrett's leadership and ability to get to the basket and hit open jumpers has allowed Williamson the space to do his thing. The amount of talent at Duke could hinder anyone on that team from winning the Player of the Year Award, but there have been players in the past to win despite sharing the court with other stars.

Ignas Brazdeikis, Michigan

Born in Lithuania, then immigrated to Canada, Brazdeikis has stepped in to be the inside presence the Wolverines needed after Mo Wagner left for the NBA. He burst onto the scene from the start and gained recognition after his 24-point outing against North Carolina in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. He is a skilled combo forward who can attack the basket with the drive, in the post or with a jumper. He is fluid on the floor and has a great feel for how to be effective on both ends of the court.

Carsen Edwards, Purdue

Edwards may be the most dynamic scorer of this bunch. He's averaging over 24 points and has already had four 30-point games. The small combo guard is Purdue's top player and finds himself as the first, second and third offensive options on most nights. He will continue to pull out stunning scoring nights, but can he make his Boilermakers true contenders in the Big Ten? If he can, he could turn all those preseason Player of the Year honors he received into postseason awards.

Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga

Hachimura became the first Japanese-born basketball player to compete in the NCAA Tournament and could be the first to win a Player of the Year Award. He is averaging nearly 20 points and more than six rebounds a game while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field. Though playing a WCC schedule places him off the national radar, Hachimura performed well in non-conference games against Duke, Tennessee, North Carolina and Washington...where he hit the game-winner. He is the best player on a team that is extremely talented, but Killian Tillie getting more comfortable as he returns from his ankle injury could take some shine off Hachimura's game. Still, he's a fantastic player to remember as we get closer to March.

Ethan Happ, Wisconsin

Last year was a horrible season in Madison, so Happ returned to school to end his Badgers career on the right note. He's averaging around 19 points and 10 rebounds per game and has Wisconsin playing much better this season. However, the has has struggled in Big Ten play. He has been a fantastic four-year player who is seemingly ending his career at Wisconsin with much individual success that isn't translating to team success.

Markus Howard, Marquette

Howard has been an explosive scorer this season, dumping 53 points on Creighton and a pair of 45-point games against Kansas State and Buffalo. Howard has a relentless motor, and with his 5-foot-11 frame, he is able to give defenses fits with his quickness and drive. Even though he's a prolific scorer (he was 10-of-14 from three in that Creighton game), he also is a good passer, averaging about 4.5 assists per game.

Dedric Lawson, Kansas

Lawson has been everything advertised for the Jayhawks in his first season in Lawrence since transferring from Memphis. He's averaging over 19 points and 10 rebounds and has stepped up his game against the better opponents on the schedule. With Udoka Azubuike out for the season, Lawson will be leaned on even more for his inside presence and may find more open space in which to operate. He is the front-runner for Big 12 Player of the Year and could become the second Kansas player in three years to win National Player of the Year honors.

Ja Morant, Murray State

Morant wasn't a big name coming out of high school but has turned into a likely lottery pick if he decides to leave after this, his sophomore season. He leads the nation in assists (over 10 per game) yet is averaging 24 points a game. He is quick and a tremendous leaper and has put Murray State basketball on the map this year. If he can get the Racers back to the NCAA Tournament, then he'll likely become a tournament darling and could get some Player of the Year run.

Admiral Schofield, Tennessee

On most teams in the nation, Schofield would be that school's best player and enjoy the spoils of the limelight. But Schofield, who is averaging a shade under 17 points and more than six boards this season, plays alongside another Player of the Year candidate in Grant Williams. While Williams is the steady presence, Schofield comes up large in the key moments, like his game-winning shot in a 30-point effort to beat Gonzaga. He has improved his numbers across the board, and though he may stay in Williams' shadow, together they could get Tennessee to its first Final Four.

Grant Williams, Tennessee

The Volunteers are for real, folks, and the fact that they have two players on this list says volumes about their status as legit title contenders. Williams won the SEC's Player of the Year Award last year and has picked up right where he left off. He's improved on his scoring and rebounding but has greatly developed as a passer (doubling his assist average from last year) and is shooting 57 percent this year compared to 47 percent a year ago. He is looking to be the first repeat SEC Player of the Year since Arkansas' Corliss Williamson in 1994 and 1995 and would join conference greats Clyde Lee, Pete Maravich, Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Jackson, Kevin Grevey, Reggie King, and Tennessee's own Dale Ellis and Bernard King as multiple SEC Player of the Year winners.

Zion Williamson, Duke

Williamson is a great player who grabs attention with his style as well as his substance. Duke is among the favorites to win the national championship, but it is Williamson who makes a Blue Devils game a must-see event. He's averaging more than 21 points and nearly 10 rebounds this season while shooting 67 percent from the field. His dunks fill highlight shows, and his overall game could make him the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. The fact that Duke has another possible Player of the Year candidate could prevent him from winning the award.

Cassius Winston, Michigan State

Winston leads the Spartans in scoring and assists and has Michigan State surging in the Big Ten. He forms a three-headed monster with Nick Ward and Joshua Langford, and they are a nightmare for opponents. He's also shooting 45 percent from three. There are so many talented players whom Winston can get lost among (some on his own team), but if he and Michigan State can topple Michigan in the conference race, you will hear more about him in Player of the Year talk.