(AP) -- The college basketball regular season has about six weeks left and AP has a look at player of the year candidates. Like last season, there are a couple of front-runners and a handful of players who could make a run at the award with a strong finish. Here's the way it's shaping up as the season heads toward the final stretch:

Jahlil Okafor, Duke. The list starts with him for a reason. The 6-foot-11 freshman was a preseason All-American and has lived up to expectations, putting up big numbers for one of the nation's best teams. Okafor leads the fourth-ranked Blue Devils with 19.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He's shooting nearly 67 percent from the floor and has a good eye for passing out of double teams, which he sees a lot. He has been a handful at both ends of the floor and arguably the nation's most dominant player.

Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin. Another preseason All-American who has played like one. The 7-foot senior returned to Madison after leading the Badgers to the Final Four last season and has done nothing to hurt his NBA stock after skipping a chance to leave early. Kaminsky leads No. 5 Wisconsin with 17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 53 percent, including 40 percent from 3-point range. Put a smaller player on him, Kaminsky will go down in the post. Beef up against him and Kaminsky will take them outside.