By: Spencer McCraw

We’re almost halfway through the season, so let’s take a look at some mid-season superlatives. 

Player Of the Year

Zach Edey

This goes without saying, but Zach Edey is the clear favorite for Player of the Year. No one player has been as instrumental for their team’s success than the big man from Canada has been for the Boilermakers.

Edey is averaging 22.6 points, 13.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game – all career highs. If Matt Painter can keep Edey producing at a high level, then the Boilermakers will keep charging on for the foreseeable future. 

Coach Of the Year

Matt Painter

Much like Zach Edey with the POY, Matt Painter is far and away the favorite for Coach of the Year. Coming into the season there were a lot of question marks surrounding his squad out of West Lafayette, but Coach Painter has his two breakout freshmen – Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer – playing like upperclassmen.

While they have struggled against some inferior opponents recently, the Boilermakers are still the no. 1 team in the land and will look to hold that title moving forward. 

Freshman Of the Year

Brandon Miller 

In years past, the Crimson Tide have been a football school. This year – however – freshman Brandon Miller has his squad sitting at no. 9 and looking to improve that with some big games coming up. Miller is averaging 19.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 44.2% from three.

If he keeps playing like this, the freshman phenom will easily be a first round talent in the upcoming NBA draft. Let’s see how far he can take the Tide this year, though. 

Most Surprising 

Purdue 

I’ve said it a million times, and forgive me for continuing to harp on it, but did anyone expect for the Boilermakers to be THIS good? Outside of the faithful in West Lafayette, there were no expectations for this Purdue squad. Sure, they have the Shaq of college basketball, but outside of that nobody knew who was going to score the ball.

Matt Painter has done a terrific job coaching his boys and teaching them how to play unselfishly, and now they sit atop the college basketball world for the time being.  

Most Disappointing

UNC

The Tar Heel team that started the season and the Tar Heel team that we have now are two very different squads. At the beginning of the year, they played selfishly and were maybe still a little hungover from their month-long party last March.

They have seemingly figured it out a little after two great wins over Ohio State and Michigan on neutral courts. Still, though, this team started the season as the no. 1 team in the land and dropped to unranked status just as quickly.

Best Team

Houston

A team full of upperclassmen, fresh off the heels of three-straight Elite Eight appearances has to be a great team, right? Yeah, you’d be right in thinking that. The Cougars lost one game to no. 9 Alabama, and – a week later – traveled to Charlottesville and handed the ‘Hoos their first loss of the year.

EvanMiya.com has Houston as the number one team in terms of BPR (which is the website’s own stat to show overall team efficiency) and the tenth best offense and second best defense. This is a great squad that Kelvin Sampson has put together, and – if they can stay healthy – they will be a force come March.