Big Ten: Is Frank Kaminsky the National Player of the Year?

Wisconsin’s ride through the 2014-2015 college basketball season has been a successful one so far. They have stormed through the Big Ten, compiling a 9-1 conference record to go along with a 21-2 overall record.

Much of that success is thanks to their starting center, and best player, Frank Kaminsky. At this point in the season, Kaminsky seems like a shoo-in for the Big Ten Player of the Year award and a lock for first team All-American.

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Kaminsky is also one of the top contenders for the National Player of the Year award. He may even be the favorite. He faces stiff competition against the likes of Jerian Grant, Delon Wright, and, most notably, Jahlil Okafor.

Wright, Grant, and assortment of other players around the country will be in the running, but this award really comes down to Okafor and Kaminsky.

There is still plenty of basketball to be played, but if the season ended today, who would the award go to?

At first glance, Okafor appears to be the statistically superior player. He averages more points per game (18.2 to 17.5), more rebounds per game (9.3 to 8.1), and has a higher overall field goal percentage (65.9 percent to 54.3 percent).

Kaminsky grabs the advantage in assists per game (2.5 to 1.4) and three-point percentage (41.4 percent to 0 percent), but surface level statistics do not always tell the whole story. When it comes to advanced statistics, Kaminsky starts coming out on top.

Kaminsky leads Okafor in offensive rating (130.3 to 122.2), offensive win shares (3.7 to 3.1), defensive rating (87 to 94.1), defensive win shares (1.9 to 1.4), and, finally, total win shares (5.6 to 4.5).

Though they play the same position, they are very different players. Okafor does most of his work on the low block, using his strength and lightning quick footwork to dominate opponents inside.

Kaminsky can score in the post as well, but he prefers to face-up. Kaminsky is a knock-down three-point shooter and a fantastic passer. Okafor is a talented passer, too, but most of his assists come from passes back out of the post, while Kaminsky creates plays for his teammates in a variety of ways.

Defensively Kaminsky is the centerpiece of Bo Ryan’s defense; protecting the rim and playing solid team defense as well. Okafor blocks shots thanks to his height, but he struggles with his help defense and his footwork defensively is not as refined as his offensive game. When it comes to defensive impact Kaminsky has a clear edge.

The two players even faced off against one another back in December. Okafor’s Blue Devils nabbed the 80-70 win as he finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Kaminsky still played well in the loss, ending his night with 17 points, nine rebounds, and a pair of assists.

Another thing in Kaminsky’s favor is the powerful narrative surrounding his career. He is a senior that developed throughout his four-year career, which is rare in this current era of college basketball. Kaminsky went from averaging 1.8 points per game his freshman year to leading Wisconsin to the Final Four his junior season.

Then, he decided to put off the NBA to try and win the National Championship that eluded him the year before, while improving his game even more. That’s a great story – one that could be enticing to Player of the Year award voters.

When the race inevitably comes down to Kaminsky and Okafor, how will voters make a decision? At that point, there really is no right answer. Both players have legitimate cases and deserve to win the award.

If I had a vote, I think I would go with Kaminsky in the end. His high impact on both the offensive and defensive end outweighs Okafor’s offensive dominance. Regardless, they are each fantastic players who are a joy to watch.

Next: Big Ten Power 5: Wisconsin's Domination

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