This is March!
That means it’s time for some end of season awards.
Check out below for an in-depth list of the top sixth men in college basketball during the 2023-24 season:
College Hoops Today National Sixth Man of the Year
Reed Sheppard, Kentucky: America had high hopes for the Wildcats’ freshman class, but nobody expected Sheppard to emerge as someone that John Calipari couldn’t take off the floor. The son of Jeff Sheppard — who was the Most Outstanding Player in the 1998 NCAA Tournament — Reed Sheppard plays with a maturity beyond his years and a basketball IQ that’s simply at a different level. He had 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists in Saturday’s win at Tennessee and is averaging 12.7 points, 4.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 steals while shooting 54 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from three-point range. Whatever “it” is, Sheppard possesses.
Other Finalists
Rob Dillingham, Kentucky: A lethal offensive talent, the 6-3 Dillingham has combined with Sheppard to form college basketball’s most potent scoring combo in reserve. An electric scorer who’s always a threat to explode like a volcano, this talented freshman has become appointment television. Dillingham is currently the Wildcats’ second-leading scorer behind Antonio Reeves and has had seven games this season with 20 or more points. Think another Lou Williams.
Mason Gillis, Purdue: One of the sports’ great Glue Guys, Gillis has never lost a 50-50 play in his career. A floor spacer on offense and dirty work guy on defense, you can’t measure what this rugged power forward does in a box score. The Boilers are 85-17 over the past four seasons with Gillis in Purdue’s program. This guy is essentially a sixth starter for Matt Painter.
Curtis Jones, Iowa State: People don’t mention Jones when the Cyclones are discussed, but they definitely should. After averaging 15 points a year ago at Buffalo, Jones has emerged as a microwave type scorer in reserve for Iowa State. He’s hit double figures in 14 straight games and has had 10 games this season where he’s made three or more three-point shots. This 6-4 guard gets buckets in bunches.
Langston Love, Baylor: Love has been in and out of the Bears’ lineup over the past month due to nagging injuries, but he’s an incredibly important piece in Waco. The 6-5 sophomore is a tremendous complement to Baylor’s starting perimeter troika of RayJ Dennis, Jayden Nunn, and Ja’Kobe Walter. Love scored in double figures in seven straight Big 12 games in January and had nine points and five rebounds in Saturday’s loss at Texas Tech. If the Bears are going to go deep in the NCAA Tournament, he’ll be a major part of the equation.
Honorable Mention
- Jaden Bradley, Arizona
- Jaxon Robinson, BYU
- Reese Waters, San Diego State
- Latrell Wrightsell, Alabma
- Hassan Diarra, UConn
Leftovers
- The Breakfast Buffet: Indiana eyes a signature win against Illinois, St. John’s bench, SEC needs to a better job spacing out games
- Episode 481 — Ole Miss’ Chris Beard
- The Breakfast Buffet: Jeremy Fears, UCLA is desperate for a win against Rutgers, the Mountain West
- The Breakfast Buffet: Cooper Flagg is taking things to another level, Kentucky, RJ Luis
- The Breakfast Buffet: Villanova-St. John’s has a “big game feel”, Shakeel Moore, Alabama/Texas A&M