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5 early candidates for the 2018 Wooden Award

Kevin Jairaj / USA TODAY Sports

The book is officially closed on players declaring for the NBA draft, meaning college basketball teams have their foundations for the 2017-18 season.

Let the guessing games begin.

The Wooden Award podium has been dominated by seniors as of late, but there's no guarantee an elder statesman will take home the prize for the sixth consecutive year.

Only two freshmen, Kevin Durant in 2007 and Anthony Davis in 2012, have been crowned college basketball's top players, so, setting the incoming recruiting class aside, here are five names that could land in the history books a year from now:

The Favorite: Miles Bridges (Michigan State)

It's not every day a player passes up an opportunity to be a lottery pick in the NBA draft, but Miles Bridges may have bigger fish to fry.

Bridges showed last season that he's quite possibly the most talented player in college basketball. After averaging 16.9 points and 8.3 rebounds over a healthy 32 minutes, the soon-to-be sophomore is poised to lead a Michigan State squad that will come out of the gate hungry after a lackluster 2016-17 season. Bridges' 1.5 blocks per game were also impressive given his 6-foot-7 frame.

If the dynamic lefty can improve his 39 percent clip from long range, and up his 69 percent clip from the free-throw line, the sky, or at least the top of the 2018 draft board, could be the limit.

The Avenger: Allonzo Trier (Arizona)

Allonzo Trier's sophomore season didn't get off to a great start, but, given what he showed in the 18 games he did suit up for, the electric Arizona guard could have big things in store for 2017-18.

An unfortunate encounter with a performance-enhancing substance limited Trier a year ago, but his 17.2 points and 5.3 rebounds helped pave the way to a Pac-12 conference championship and a Sweet 16 appearance for the Wildcats. Trier topped the 20-point total six times out of 18 games, and added three more 19-point performances.

Arizona is also welcoming back fellow guard Rawle Alkins, while adding top-50 recruits DeAndre Ayton (No. 2) and Brandon Randolph (No. 35), so Trier will have more than enough supporting cast members around him to distract defenders from his potent offensive abilities.

The Wiley Veteran: Joel Berry II (North Carolina)

Yes, the fact that a senior has taken home college basketball's highest individual honor in five straight years doesn't guarantee a sixth, but if seniority does indeed play a part, who better to take home the award than the leader of a national champion?

Joel Berry II is in the twilight of a decorated college career, but there's one glaring omission from his list of accolades.

One may think: "Joel Berry? Really? The guy wasn't even the best player on his team last year." And honestly, you would be right, but neither was Frank Mason III, who won the 2017 Wooden Award.

Name Minutes Points Rebounds Assists Steals Turnovers Shooting %
Frank Mason III (2015-16) 33.5 12.9 4.3 4.6 1.3 1.9 0.434
Joel Berry II (2016-17) 30.4 14.7 3.1 3.6 1.4 1.9 0.426

The numbers between the two are strikingly similar, and given that both were a part of extremely talented markets last season, the chances of Berry having a memorable last lap are considerably higher than others in the same situation.

The Villain: Grayson Allen (Duke)

Here's a thought: Perhaps Grayson Allen should stop spending so much time worrying about public perception and embrace his identity as public enemy No. 1.

The returning senior entered last season as a Wooden Award favorite before a slew of tripping incidents cast a negative light on his season. Duke also went through a period of turmoil with Coach K away from the sidelines, which didn't help matters given the timing was lined up perfectly with Allen's in-house discipline. The reality of the matter is that Allen is still an elite player, who, when he wants to, can single-handedly change a game.

If he can keep his feet under him on a consistent basis, expect Allen to return to form in 2017-18, and infuriate opponents along the way with Player of the Year candidate numbers.

The Darkhorse: Hamidou Diallo (Kentucky)

There's no greater unknown this year than a five-star recruit who never saw the floor, was rumoured to be an NBA lottery pick due to an NCAA loophole, and waited until the 11th hour to announce he would indeed return to play in a college basketball game.

Hamidou Diallo boasts all the tools. A 6-foot-5 frame and 6-foot-10 wingspan make him a defensive threat on the perimeter, while his explosiveness with the ball is sure to keep defenders on their heels. It's hard to feel comfortable gauging what kind of an impact he'll have for Kentucky this season, but that could work in Diallo's favor if he can have a hot start to the season and set the tempo early against his opponents.

(Photos Courtesy: Action Images)

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