basketball-men-d1 flag

Daniel Wilco | krikya18.com | November 1, 2019

Kentucky's Tyrese Maxey wins fan vote for men's basketball preseason player of the year

Who will be this season's college basketball player of the year?

Throughout the preseason, coaches and members of the media have debated about who they think will be the best player of the 2019-20 men's college basketball season.

RANKINGS: Andy Katz's latest Power 36 rankings | AP preseason Top 25 poll 

But we wanted you, the fans, to decide.

JUMP TO VOTE

krikya18.com college basketball insider Andy Katz compiled a 16-player bracket of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors that are bound for great seasons in 2019-20. He seeded the players based on his expertise, but it was your expertise and opinions that voted Kentucky's Tyrese Maxey as the fan’s Preseason Player of the Year.

FANS PICKED: The votes are in: Kentucky is your college basketball Team of the Decade

Here is the final bracket:

Preseason Player of the Year final bracket

The primary voting was conducted on the Twitter account using four rounds of polls over two weeks, beginning on Sunday, Oct. 20. The final poll was conducted on Tuesday, Oct. 29, and the winner was announced on Friday, Nov. 1. The player with the most fan votes in each poll advanced to the next round. Voting also took place in March Madness & Stories. 

2020 PREDICTIONS: Michigan State will win the title | Full 2020 bracket predicted

Here's how the voting played out:

Voting schedule:

Sunday, Oct. 20: Eight first-round polls
Wednesday, Oct. 23: Four second-round polls
Saturday, Oct. 26: Two semifinal polls
Tuesday, Oct. 29: Final poll
Friday, Nov. 1: Winner announced

Sunday, Oct. 20

No. 1 Cassius Winston (Michigan State) vs. No. 16 Reggie Perry (Mississippi State) |
No. 8 Cole Anthony (North Carolina) vs. No. 9 Tre Jones (Duke) | 
No. 4 Jordan Nwora (Louisville) vs. No. 13 Jarron Cumberland (Cincinnati)| 
No. 5 Lamar Stevens (Penn State) vs. No. 12 Devon Dotson (Kansas) | 
No. 2 James Wiseman (Memphis) vs. No. 15 Nico Mannion (Arizona) | 
No. 7 Markus Howard (Marquette) vs. No. 10 Anthony Edwards (Georgia) | 
No. 3 Myles Powell (Seton Hall) vs. No. 14 McKinley Wright IV (Colorado) | 
No.  6 Kerry Blackshear Jr. (Florida) vs. No. 11 Tyrese Maxey (Kentucky) | 

Wednesday, Oct. 23

No. 1 Cassius Winston (Michigan State) vs. No. 8 Cole Anthony (North Carolina) |
No. 3 Myles Powell (Seton Hall) vs. No. 11 Tyrese Maxey (Kentucky) |
No. 7 Markus Howard (Marquette) vs. No. 15 Nico Mannion (Arizona) |
No. 4 Jordan Nwora (Louisville) vs. No. 12 Devon Dotson (Kansas) |

Saturday, Oct. 26

No. 1 Cassius Winston (Michigan State) vs. No. 4 Jordan Nwora (Louisville) |
No. 7 Markus Howard (Marquette) vs. No. 11 Tyrese Maxey (Kentucky) |

Tuesday, Oct. 29

No. 1 Cassius Winston (Michigan State vs. No. 11 Tyrese Maxey (Kentucky) |

πŸ€ 2025 MARCH MADNESS πŸ€
🀩 2025 TOURNAMENT:  | See bracket | Scores
πŸ† HISTORY: Title winners | MOP winners | Most tournament titles
 πŸŽŸοΈ TICKETS:
STORE:

Top 10 nonconference games to watch this season, ranked by Andy Katz

These are the top 10 nonconference games to watch this men's basketball season, ranked by Andy Katz.
READ MORE

9 returning big men to watch in DII men’s basketball this season

Who can dominate the post in the 2025-26 DII men's basketball season? Wayne Cavadi looks at a few that could fit the bill.
READ MORE

Men's basketball NIT announces new committee leadership

The 2026 National Invitation Tournament committee gears up for an unforgettable basketball celebration as it announces new committee leadership for the 2025-2026 season.
READ MORE
Division I
Men's Basketball Championship
April 4 & 6, 2026
Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, IN