From many, there will be one. And while there’s still no guarantee contending athletes will win their own state at this point in the season, a number of elite performers are making a case for Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year consideration. Here’s the scoop on the latest top candidate.

Tyler Nelson

Senior guard, Central Catholic (Lawrence, Mass.)

Greatness Present: Nobody can question Nelson’s toughness following a 74-70 loss to defending Division I champion Springfield (Mass.) Putnam Tech in the state title game over the weekend.

The Central Catholic senior played through a broken left finger that a trainer originally believed to be initially dislocated and later “popped” back into place in the first half of the defeat, according to The Eagle-Tribune.

After scoring 17 points in a losing cause, however, Nelson offered no excuses. In fact, the local paper didn’t learn of his injury until three days later. The 6-foot-3 right-handed guard concluded his senior season averaging 23.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.6 steals.

Greatness Past: The returning Eagle-Tribune Player of the Year and a 2013 Boston Herald All-Scholastic selection, Nelson averaged 14.5 points per game over his four-year varsity career. He is also the Merrimack Valley Conference’s reigning individual golf champion.

Greatness Future: Nelson has signed to play basketball at Fairfield.

Make no mistake: The Gatorade State Boys Basketball Player of the Year races aren’t over, and the National POY race is now heating up. Time remains for one standout student-athlete among thousands to rise to the top of our list.Check back for daily updates on the top contenders making their case.