It took eight weeks, but we finally have a player not named Jared Sullinger atop our weekly player of the year rankings. With Ohio State's big man still trying to find himself post-injury(x2), it was Kansas' talented forward Thomas Robinson who snagged the No. 1 spot in our latest installment.
We can't stress it enough: Right now this race is as tight as we could have ever imagined. Robinson's new spot is well-deserved, of course, but the gap between him and some of the names breathing down his neck is ridiculously slim. And instead of one or two players ready to pounce at the first opportunity, it seems anybody among the top 10-14 names could string together a monstrous multi-week effort and shake up the standings in a big way.
Now is also a good time to point out why some players, Harrison Barnes for instance, continue to find themselves near the top of the rankings despite less-than-stellar numbers. Along with every advanced statistic you can find, we also take a player's talent level, past achievements, schedule strength and team success into our mental equation, and we try to do this every single week. As much as we love all those small-school players out there lighting up box scores, sometimes we have to cater to kids who have the best chance of winning the award(s), so guys who have already been-there-and-done-that are merely going to merit a higher ranking more often than not.
Week eight, and a new leader, after the jump...
| Rank | Change | Player-School | Notes |
| 1 | +1 | Thomas Robinson-KAN | Say hello to the new No. 1. No player has been more consistent this yr. |
| 2 | -1 | Jared Sullinger-OSU |
14.5/8.5 in two games after latest injury. Health remains a question mark. |
| 3 | -- |
Tu Holloway-XAV |
Since suspension: 21.3 pts, 5.6 asts, 2.0 stls, 47.0% FGs, 27-35 FTs. |
| 4 | -- |
Jeremy Lamb-UCONN |
Third in Big East in percentage of team's minutes played (91.2%). |
| 5 | +1 |
Anthony Davis-UK |
The Lank Factor: 0.982 (331 PT+REB+BLK+STL/337 MIN) |
| 6 | -1 | Harrison Barnes-UNC | Impossible to count out, but too many underwhelming nights w/ him. |
| 7 | -- |
Marcus Denmon-MIZ |
Needs to get on track after two awful games(7.5 pts, 25% FGs, 23% 3Ps). |
| 8 | -- |
Draymond Green-MSU |
Recorded three straight double-doubles for the 2nd time in career. |
| 9 | +2 |
Doug McDermott-CRE |
Flat-out embarrassed N'Western/Tulsa last week (31 ppg, 70.2% FGs). |
| 10 | -1 |
Perry Jones III-BAY |
The Lank Factor: 0.738 (161 PT+REB+BLK+STL/218 MIN) |
| 11 | +1 |
John Henson-UNC |
The Lank Factor: 0.983 (366 PT+REB+BLK+STL/372 MIN) |
| 12 | +1 |
John Jenkins-VAN |
Quietly sits at 14th in the country in scoring (20.6/gm). Already 42 3PM. |
| 13 | +3 |
Kevin Jones-WVU |
The Lank Factor: 0.945 (414 PT+REB+BLK+STL/438 MIN) |
| 14 | +3 |
Scott Machado-ION |
Was somehow four points shy of a triple-double last week (6-10-10). |
| 15 | -- |
Kendall Marshall-UNC |
Using just 15% of UNC's possessions. Solely an assist guy now. |
| 16 | -6 | Jordan Taylor-WIS |
Surprising: Taking only 24.5% of WISC's shots. Was at 27.4% in 10-11. |
| 17 | UNR | Herb Pope-SHU |
NCAA's fifth-best ORating among max-usage players (114.3). |
| 18 | UNR | Will Barton-MEM |
Only 6'6", he's rebounding like an elite big man (11.33 over last six gms). |
| 19 | -- |
J'Covan Brown-TEX |
High volume: 58 FGA over last three games (20.67 ppg). |
| 20 | -2 | Ashton Gibbs-PITT |
Gibbs' 46.8 eFG% through 13 games is especially troublesome. |
Five who just missed: Mike Moser-UNLV, Damian Lillard-Weber State, John Shurna-Northwestern, Arnett Moultrie-Mississippi State, Darius Johnson-Odom-Marquette
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