In the months ahead, the top men's college basketball talents will fight to secure player of the year honors in their respective conferences.
Who is most likely to battle for those rights is more apparent in the major conferences. Duke's Cameron Boozer and NC State's Darrion Williams are candidates in the ACC. Donovan Dent, the UCLA star who transferred from New Mexico, could push Purdue's Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn in the Big Ten. Kentucky's Otega Oweh and Florida's Alex Condon lead a crowded field of candidates for individual honors in the SEC.