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With the non-conference season concluding, it’s time to reassess who is most deserving of the National Player of the Year designation for the 2016-2017 season.
If you’re not familiar with the exercise, the idea is to choose a player solely based on per 40 and advanced numbers, so players are not identified by their real names. Instead, different interrelated cultural identifiers are used to refer to the candidates. Today, it's "Star Wars" characters.
In this iteration, and moving forward, I’m including a candidate's team’s KenPom ranking and strength of schedule by his identifier (h/t to MikeJ. from VU Hoops for the suggestion) so team success is taken into account. Know that no candidate listed plays for a team with more than two losses. So no Martinez NBA prospect supercrush Markelle Fultz, who's arguably performing better than any of the eligible candidates while competitively wasting away in Seattle. SAD FACE.
Last time around — while voting was blind — readers selected would be ‘Cat-crusher UCLA G Lonzo Ball as the NPOY.
Immediately below are your seven candidates for this go-round. Leading numbers in each category are emboldened.
1. Han Solo (KP: 6 / SoS: 24)
| FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.7 | 14.1 | .545 | 2.5 | 5.0 | .500 | .712 | 5.4 | 6.8 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 2.6 | 22.9 |
PER: 27.3 / eFG%: 63 / TS%: 66 / USG%: 23.6
2. Boba Fett (12 / 112)
| FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.3 | 14.1 | .590 | 1.1 | 2.1 | .524 | .759 | 16.5 | 3.9 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 4.5 | 24.1 |
PER: 28.5 / eFG%: 63 / TS%: 67 / USG%: 27
3. Lando Calrissian (21 / 55)
| FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6 | 13.6 | .484 | 1.0 | 1.9 | .529 | .694 | 3.1 | 11.9 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 5.3 | 16.9 |
PER: 19.1 / eFG%: 52 / TS%: 55 / USG%: 24.9
4. Luke Skywalker (1 / 14)
| FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.4 | 15.1 | .560 | 2.6 | 6.0 | .433 | .810 | 7.9 | 4.4 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 24.2 |
PER: 33 / eFG%: 65 / TS%: 68 / USG%: 26
5. Yoda (4 / 5)
| FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.3 | 16.7 | .439 | 0.4 | 2.8 | .154 | .737 | 6.5 | 8.8 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 3.2 | 21.1 |
PER: 22.4 / eFG%: 45/ TS%: 51 / USG%: 25.3
6. Darth Vader (2 / 33)
| FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8 | 15.0 | .520 | 2.7 | 6.4 | .427 | .879 | 6.6 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 22.7 |
PER: 26.6 / eFG%: 61 / TS%: 65 / USG%: 23.3
7. Kylo Ren (13 / 151)
| FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | 10.3 | .534 | 2.6 | 5.9 | .433 | .658 | 6.7 | 9.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 15.8 |
PER: 23.4 / eFG%: 66 / TS%: 66 / USG%: 17
Cast your vote below and leave your reasoning in the comments.
| Player |
|
SOS | FG |
FGA | FG% | <3PA | 3P%< |
FT% | TRB | <STL |
|
TOV | PTS |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Han Solo | 6 | 24 | 7.7 | 14.1 |
|
2.5 | 5 |
0.5 | 0.712 | <6.8 | 1. |
0 | 2.6 | <|
| Boba Fett | 12 | 112 |
8.3 | 14.1 | <1.1 | 2. |
0.524 | 0.759< |
16.5 | 3.9 | <1 | 4.5 |
24.1 | |
| Lando Calrissian | 21 |
|
6.6 | 13.6 |
0.484 | 1 | <0.529 |
|
3.1 | 11. |
2.1 | 0 | <16.9 | |
| Luke Skywalker | 1 |
|
8.4 | 15.1 |
0.56 | 2.6 | <0.433 | 0. |
7.9 | 4.4 |
1.7 | 0.3 | <24.2 | |
| Yoda | 4 | <7.3 | 16.7< |
0.439 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 0.154 |
|
6.5 | 8.8< |
2.3 | 0.3 | <21.1 | |
| Darth Vader | 2 | 33 |
7.8 | 15 |
|
2.7 | 6.4 |
0.427 | 0.879 |
6.6 | 3.1 | <0.4 | 1. |
22.7 |
| Kylo Ren | 13 | 151 |
5.5 | 10.3 | <2.6 |
|
0.433 | 0. |
6.7 | 9.6 |
1.8 | 1.1 | <15.8 |
P.S. I know I’m still not using one large table, but I’m not tech-savvy enough to figure them out and data entry is drudging.
Welp, the table is messed up and there is nothing I can do because of "unclosed tags," which I encountered for the first time today. My fault. Oh well.
Here are the candidates' real names: Han Solo: FRANK MASON (KU) Boba Fett: CALEB SWANIGAN (PURDUE) Lando Calrissian: MO WATSON (CREIGHTON) WINNER -- Luke Skywalker: JOSH HART (VILLANOVA) Yoda: DE'AARON FOX (UK) Darth Vader: LUKE KENNARD (DUKE) Kylo Ren: LONZO BALL (UCLA)
Finally, I'm sorry for all the HTML errors in this post; I'll get everything together for the January edition.