There’s been a shakeup at the top of the NaismithLives.com Player of the Year rankings. Ohio State’s Evan Turner was clearly the country’s premier performer when he went down with a back injury in early December, but his absence has opened the door for others to emerge.

Obviously things will change as the season wears on, but this is how the top 10 candidates currently stand based upon what they’ve done thus far…

NaismithLives.com Player of the Year Rankings (as of December 18):
(previous ranking in parentheses)

1. (4.) John Wall, Kentucky, FR
(18.1 ppg, 7.1 apg, 4.1 rpg, 54.0% FG)
He’s second nationally in assists per game and carried the Wildcats during wins over North Carolina, Connecticut, and Indiana.

2. (10.) Wesley Johnson, Syracuse, JR
(16.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.2 bpg, 2.2 spg)
A force on both ends of the floor, he’s had his biggest games against elite competition.

3. (2.) Quincy Pondexter, Washington, SR
(22.1 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.0 apg, 55.5% FG)
A dip in his shooting and losses to Texas Tech and Georgetown hurt his cause, as does seven-point effort in a squeaker win over Montana.

4. (3.) Luke Harangody, Notre Dame, SR
(24.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 52.9% FG)
He’s scoring at a torrid pace, yet losses to Northwestern and Loyola-Marymount are damaging.

5. (8.) Manny Harris, Michigan, JR
(22.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 5.0 apg, 2.0 spg)
Statistically he is incomparable, yet he is Michigan’s best player and, consequently, ultimately responsible for their four losses.

6. (UR) Kalin Lucas, Michigan State, JR
(16.7 ppg, 4.5 apg, 1.3 spg, 42.9% 3FG)
Possibly the best pure point guard in the nation, Lucas does it all for the Spartans.

7. (9.) James Anderson, Oklahoma State, JR
(21.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.9 spg, 46.8% FG)
A couple of poor shooting games aside (a combined 6-for-25 against Tulsa and Arkansas-Pine Bluff), he’s been sensational this season.

8. (6.) Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State, SR
(14.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 5.3 bpg, 67.5% FG)
The Bulldogs are downright scary on the defensive end of the floor simply because of Varnado’s presence.

9. (7.) Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga, SR
(16.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.7 apg, 40.8% 3FG)
The co-MVP of the Maui Invitational sat out against Davidson because of a head injury, but he does oh-so-much for the Zags.

10. (UR) Willie Warren, Oklahoma, SO
(19.6 ppg, 5.1 apg, 3.3 rpg, 1.3 spg)
Impossible to ignore a player who does so much for his team.

Dropped out of the Top 10:
(1.) Evan Turner, Ohio State, JR
(20.6 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 7.0 apg, 1.8 spg)
The nation’s best player should miss at least eight weeks with a fractured vertebrae.

(5.) Kyle Singler, Duke, JR
(16.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.0 apg, 38.5% 3FG)
Struggled against Connecticut and has scored more than 13 points just twice since mid-November.

Others under consideration (alphabetical order):
Cole Aldrich (Kansas), Rotnei Clarke (Arkansas), Sherron Collins (Kansas), Jerome Dyson (Connecticut), Xavier Henry (Kansas), Damion James (Texas), Greg Monroe (Georgetown), Patrick Patterson (Kentucky), Tyler Smith (Tennessee), Isaiah Thomas (Washington), Deon Thompson (North Carolina)

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