There has never been a season quite like the 2021-22 year.

There is no clear-cut title contender. There are, however, more than a dozen teams that have a chance to cut down the nets in New Orleans exactly four weeks from today. Parody is at an all-time high, which is why is shouldn’t be all that surprising that the race for National Player of the Year was as tight as any that we have seen since I’ve been covering this sport.

Johnny Davis established himself as the early favorite, thanks to some massive performances against great teams. Kofi Cockburn and Drew Timme were a constant in the conversation before Oscar Tshiebwe’s historically great season and Keegan Murray’s breakout sophomore campaign further muddied the waters.

If you want to know how competitive this year’s Player of the Year race truly was, think about this: Jabari Smith and Chet Holmgren are likely going to be the top two picks in this year’s draft, they are having sensational — and, in Chet’s case, unprecedented — seasons for two of the four No. 1-seeds, and neither of them are in the mix. Bennedict Mathurin is a lottery pick averaging 17.3 points for the No. 2-team in college basketball, and he was not even considered.

There may not be an elite team in college basketball this season, but there are plenty of elite players.

So who is the best?

Here is how our panel of experts voted.

NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky

Tshiebwe is not an elite scorer and he is probably not going to be considered a go-to guy and he absolutely does not play the most aesthetically pleasing brand of basketball, but there is no one in the sport that is more important or integral to what his team wants to do that Oscar is to Kentucky.

He is a defensive anchor. He is the best rebounder that we have seen in the collegiate ranks in decades. He is the man that allows Kentucky to be as lethal as they are in transition, and his relentless on the offensive glass as a one-man wrecking crew changes the complexion of games.

But perhaps most importantly, there is no ego there. Big O is a warrior on the glass, doing the dirty work and playing with a passion that you typically see out of the role-playing glue guys, and that has permeated this roster. Kentucky is selfless, determined and bought in, and so much of that is a direct result of having the National Player of the Year care about nothing other than winning.

NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR: Ed Cooley, Providence

I honestly cannot remember where I had Providence heading into the 2021-22 season.

I didn’t think they were a tournament team. I didn’t talk about them in the race for the Big East title, because I didn’t think there was a chance that this group of transfers and 24-year olds would be anywhere near the Big East title.

The fact that we are sitting here, on March 7th, talking about the Friars as the outright Big East champions — the first time that it has happened in their 43-year tenure in the league — is nothing short of astonishing. And the fact that they were able to accomplish this despite being at a talent deficit and finding themselves in double-digit holes a half-dozen times during league play says all you need to know.

They say that winning close games is a direct result of the coaching on that team, and no one in college basketball was better than Providence in close games.

Ed Cooley is Providence. Providence is Ed Cooley. And it is only fitting that in PC’s magical season, Cooley gets the top prize in his profession.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Jabari Smith, Auburn

This was the most interesting race for an award.

I thought that it was clearly going to be Paolo Banchero after the first month of the season. Then it seemed like Chet Holmgren’s ability to be utterly unique would land him with this award. But after playing like the second-coming of Carmelo Anthony for the last month of the season, our panel landed on Jabari Smith as the Freshman of the Year.

There may not be a player in college basketball that is more lethal out of the mid-post. There may not be a better shooter in the country. If I need a bucket with 10 seconds left, I’m not sure there is someone I would rather have with the ball in their hands than Jabari Smith.

Over the last six games, he is averaging 24.8 points and shooting 62 percent from three. He’s not done yet, either. March is going to be his time to shine.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Walker Kessler, Auburn

Auburn is the first team since Georgetown in 1988-89 — you know, the team with Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutumbo — to average better than eight steals, eight blocks and hold opponents to under 40 percent shooting.

The reason why?

Walker Kessler.

He is, simply put, the best rim protector in college basketball and maybe the best that I’ve seen in college hoops since Anthony Davis. He’s averaging 4.5 blocks on the season. He had 90 blocks in 18 SEC games. That rim protection is what allows Auburn’s perimeter defenders to get out and gamble on the perimeter like they are Jeff Goodman at a blackjack table in Vegas at 3 a.m.

I think you could make the argument that Kessler is as valuable to Auburn as Oscar Tshiebwe is to Kentucky.

FIELD OF 68 FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICA

OSCAR TSHIEBWE, Kentucky

I’m not sure what else there is to say about Big O that wasn’t already said.

He’s the most dominant rebounder in college basketball, he’s the centerpiece of a team many believe can win the national title and he is one of the most likable players in the sport. What more can you ask for?

JOHNNY DAVIS, Wisconsin

No one in college basketball had more highlight moments this season than Johnny Davis. The 37 points and 14 boards he had in a win in Mackey Arena was memorable, but Davis was also sensational as Wisconsin beat a full-strength Houston, knocked off Saint Mary’s and won in Assembly Hall, the Breslin Center and the RAC. If anyone can carry a team from outside the top ten to a Final Four, it’s Johnny Davis.

OCHAI AGBAJI, Kansas

Agbaji finally took the leap we all had been waiting for as a senior. He went from being a good player that had potential to being the best player on a Big 12 champ and arguably the best shooter in the Big 12. Kansas has struggled at the point and at the five this season, but they are still among the nation’s elite because Agbaji consistently produced at the highest of levels.

KEEGAN MURRAY, Iowa

It took a while for the nation at large to really recognize just how special this season was for Murray, who has kept the Hawkeyes in the national consciousness and near the top of the Big Ten despite the fact that they lost Luka Garza to graduation. There may not be a more dominant wing scorer in college basketball this year than Murray.

KOFI COCKBURN, Illinois

The Big Fella delivered as expected, putting up 20-and-10 for the Big Ten co-champions. Illinois has dealt with injuries and illnesses as much as any team in the sport this season, but the one constant since Big Ten play started has been their dominant five-man.

FIELD OF 68 SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICA

COLLIN GILLESPIE, Villanova

Gillespie will probably never get the credit that he deserves, but he is as much of a born winner as there is in college hoops. His 33 point outburst at Providence was one of the most impressive performances we’ve seen. He’s the engine that makes this Villanova team run.

BENNEDICT MATHURIN, Arizona

Mathurin is the best player on one of the best teams in college basketball. A supreme athlete and shot-maker at 6-foot-5, he’s the kind of electrifying scorer that thrives in Tommy Lloyd’s uptempo offense.

JADEN IVEY, Purdue

There is no one in college basketball more explosive than Jaden Ivey, who has gone from being a promising prospect to one of the most productive players in the sport. He can take over games for a team that needs someone that can breakdown a defense.

JABARI SMITH, Auburn

There may not be a player in college basketball that is more lethal out of the mid-post. There may not be a better shooter in the country. If I need a bucket with 10 seconds left, I’m not sure there is someone I would rather have with the ball in their hands than Jabari Smith.

DREW TIMME, Gonzaga

Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how good Timme is. That’s what happens when he’s overshadowed by a teammate that is a potential No. 1-pick on a team that has been playing off the national radar for two months. But the bottom-line is this: Timme is the best player on the best team in America.

FIELD OF 68 THIRD TEAM ALL-AMERICA

JD NOTAE, Arkansas

Arkansas hit their stride down the stretch of the season. That came at a time when JD Notae started to take games over. He’s good enough to put Arkansas on his back and lead them on another deep tournament run.

EJ LIDDELL, Ohio State

Ohio State’s injury issues and the struggles that they have had defensively have made it hard to recognize just how sensational Liddell has been this season. He’s scoring on the perimeter, he’s defending at the rim and he’s averaging 19.4 points and 2.6 assists. Is there a more under-appreciated superstar anywhere?

PAOLO BANCHERO, Duke

Banchero is the most physically imposing of the three elite freshmen in college basketball this year, and as dominant as he has looked at times this year, consistency — and shooting — is the difference between Paolo, Player of the Year candidate, and Paolo, Third-Team All-American.

CHET HOLMGREN, Gonzaga

Chet is the only player in college basketball history that has reached the benchmarks that you see listed above. No one else has ever put up that stat line. Ever. Think about that.

WALKER KESSLER, Auburn

Walker Kessler is, simply put, the best rim protector in college basketball and maybe the best that I’ve seen in college hoops since Anthony Davis. He’s averaging 4.5 blocks on the season. He had 90 blocks in 18 SEC games.