The Wooden Award is decided by "sports writers or sportscasters who collectively represent each of the 50 states, with the number of voters from each state dependent on the state's population," according to the award's website. That formula may work for choosing the president and deciding how to run the country, two issues in which everyone in the United States is presumed equally interested and equally capable (and I used presumed in the theoretical way like it's used in the court of law).

The same can't be said of college basketball, different from the pros in many ways, especially geographically. For example, a New Yorker has to travel all the way to its less populated central region to find a respectable college basketball program (that'd be Syracuse), while three top 25 teams reside in the state of Kansas. Of course, the same system pervades college football's Heisman voting, but at least those games are more easily watched by all interested parties.

That the most populous state, California, has just one team in the top 25, #7 San Diego State, should tell you all you need to know about the Wooden Award's voting system, and why it perhaps left off freshman center Joel Embiid and included lesser candidates like Michigan State's Adreian Payne. (I love his game but he's no Embiid!) The full list here.

Clearly, the vote was taken a ways back when Ohio State was undefeated (possibly explaining Aaron Craft's appearance even though he might have made it anyway) and when Kansas and Embiid weren't quite as hot. Still, Embiid has been one of the nation's better players ever since the Jayhawks lost to Florida on Dec. 10. Since then, he's averaged 13.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, and 3.3 bpg on 71 percent shooting -- all Kansas victories over six teams currently ranked in the top 25. He's probably even been playing better than fellow phenom Andrew Wiggins, who made the list.

Ironically, Kansas' frequent television appearances (which bigger market journalists likely relied on to watch teams from smaller markets) might have hurt Embiid, for he wasn't playing his best basketball early.

Players not on the top 25 can still make the final list of 15 (necessary to be eligible for the ultimate prize), which former Indiana forward Victor Oladipo did last year. (Trey Burke won.)

All my bickering probably doesn't matter anyways, as Doug McDermott and his 25 ppg (on super-efficient shooting) is the overwhelming favorite to win this year. His sterling performance in Monday night's blowout was the opening licks of a sealed deal. Though he's no ball hog, Creighton's offense, which sometimes keeps four players above the three-point line and the 5th (McDermott) on the blocks for isolation opportunities, seeks him out often for consistently good looks.

Funny, but if Creighton struggles and Kansas and Embiid continue to dominate, he could be the only player capable of stealing the award.