For the second straight month, Nerlens Noel posted numbers that defied convention for first-year players in the NBA. And for the second straight month, he saw another player earn Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors.

Throughout his rookie campaign, the 20-year-old big man has seen his production increase and his game mature, but last month was special. In 17 games, Noel logged 563 minutes, good for seventh most in the NBA, and he made the most of the extra burn.

He averaged 14.3 points – second among rookies in the East to Nikola Miroctic, who took March Rookie of the Month honors, 11.2 rebounds (1st), 1.8 assists (6th), 2.4 steals (1st), and 2.1 blocks (1st) per game in March, becoming the only rookie in NBA history to maintain those marks over the course of an entire month. But perhaps more impressive was the fact that the last player, rookie or otherwise, to accomplish that feat was Hakeem Olajuwon, who did so more than 20 years ago in December of 1994.

Noel converted 50.0% of his field-goal attempts in March, including 66.1% of the ones that came in the restricted area. And on the other end of the floor, he held opponents to 11.7% below their average field-goal percentage on shots within six feet of the hoop. Needless to say, his impact around the rim on both ends of the floor was in another class compared to his rookie counterparts around the league.

The 6’11” big man notched a double-double in nine of the Sixers’ 17 games in March, averaging 14.8 points and 13.2 rebounds in those contests. His playmaking ability on the defensive end as put him in elite company as well. Noel’s the only player in the NBA with over 100 blocks and 100 steals, and with six games left in the season he’s on pace to become one of just eight players ever to notch 150+ blocks and 140+ steals; only Ben Wallace and Andrei Kirilenko have done that in the past 20 years.

“People have to really start talking about him for Rookie of the Year,” head coach Brett Brown told reporters after Noel posted 14 points, 10 rebounds, and six blocks in a game against the Kings in late March. “You don't just repetitively bang out these types of performances and produce the numbers that he is producing. He is a complete game changer. He is a complete defensive presence when he's lurking to block shots. He just continues to improve at this time of year. He keeps moving up the food chain and heading in the direction that we're all so thrilled about."

Brown’s not the only one who feels that way.

Last week, Noel moved from #2 to #1 on NBA.com’s Rookie Ladder for the first time this season. And according to most experts, the race is currently too close to call between Noel, Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins, Chicago’s Nikola Mirotic, and Orlando’s Elfrid Payton.

But Sixers fans should know that even if though the 20-year-old’s mantle might not show it yet, Nerlens Noel is special.