Joshua Jefferson Chasing Down Duke Blue Devils Star in Player of the Year Rankings

The star forward for the Iowa State Cyclones has his eyes sight on the Player of the Year

Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) celebrates after win 87-57 over UCF in the Big-12 conference men’s basketball on Jan. 20, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have had a strong start to the season, and one of the main reasons why has been the performance of one of their senior stars. 

While the Cyclones went through some challenges last week with a couple of losses to the Kansas Jayhawks and Cincinnati Bearcats on the road, the team was finally able to bounce back in a significant way with a victory against the UCF Knights. 

In their most recent win, Iowa State was clearly locked in at home and ready to end their two-game skid. Slow starts have been a bit of an issue for the team, and they were able to get off to a great start in their recent win. 

Unfortunately, the struggles of the previous week have knocked the team down quite a bit in the rankings, and it is going to take some time to rebound. Fortunately, the Big 12 will present them with some opportunities for signature wins, and the Cyclones have some star players who can make that happen.

In KenPom’s Player of the Year rankings, Joshua Jefferson currently sits behind only Cameron Boozer of the Duke Blue Devils for the honor. 

Jefferson Trying to Catch Up

Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

The now senior forward has taken a significant step forward with the Cyclones and is turning out to be one of the best players in the country. So far this season, he is averaging 17.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. 

Those numbers are up across the board from his junior year and somewhat significantly in both the points and assists categories. Jefferson’s ability as a passer has been a major plus for the Cyclones’ offense this campaign and is one of the main reasons for the improvement of the unit. 

In the Player of the Year Rankings, Jefferson is ranked second behind Boozer, and that is a major accomplishment. The Duke star is one of the best players in the country, and Jefferson being in that conversation isn’t something that many people would have predicted at the start of the season. 

With two triple-doubles so far this year at the forward position, Jefferson has undoubtedly proven that he is one of the best players in the country. Chasing down Boozer to be the Player of the Year will be no easy task, but he will have some marquee games against elite opponents that can strengthen his resume.