NCAA Basketball: Top 5 players left in 2019 TBT who shined in college

Alumni teams have given fans one more chance to see their favorite players back on the hardwood in the TBT. But who use to show off the most back in their college days?

After a few weeks of play, The Basketball Tournament (TBT) has been widdled to just eight teams. Playing in front of sold out college arenas, it felt like college basketball was back in full swing.  Not only were the fans back, but some college superstars have found their way onto the court.

Elite players like Kohl Blooded’s, Nigel Hayes, and AfterShocks’, Cleanthony Early, have already been eliminated, but there are still a plethora of studs left in the tournament.

So, who are the five best players left in TBT?

#5 Pierre Jackson (CSI and Baylor) – Loyalty is Love

Coming in at number five, you might believe that Jackson’s teammate Isaiah Austin should be ranked above him; however, it’s just not the case. Austin was a great prospect with a ton of potential, but he’s most remembered for having his NBA career halted before it could even start with his tragic Marfan Syndrome diagnosis.

Even though Austin was the better NBA prospect, Jackson was the heart and soul of the 2012 Baylor team.

Jackson started his colligate career at the College of Southern Idaho, a junior college in Twin Falls, Idaho. There he was The NJAC National Player of the Year, NJAC Tournament MVP, and NJAC National Champion.

He was an instant impact when he transferred to Baylor, leading the team in scoring on their Elite 8 run.

In his final season down in Waco, Texas, he led the team in scoring, putting up just under 20 points per night. The Bears didn’t make it to March Madness, but he was able to take home an NIT Championship that season.

#4 DeAndre Kane (Marshall and Iowa State) – Overseas Elite

Kane had a great career at two different schools. He started his career at Marshall where he was the Conference USA Freshmen of the year. Then in his sophomore and junior seasons, he was a two-time Second-team All-Conference USA selection.

However, second-team selections in a small conference don’t get you on this list.

After graduating from Marshall, he transferred to Iowa State where he dominated his senior season. He had a terrific line of 17.1 PTS/ 6.8 REB/ 5.9 AST per game.

Along with Georges Niang and Melvin Ejim, the Cyclones took a trip to the Sweet Sixteen where they fell to the UCONN Huskies.

Not only did Iowa State have a great year, but Kane also brought home some personal achievements. He was a First-team All-Big 12 selection and Third-team All-American selection.

#3 Aaron Craft (Ohio State) – Carmen’s Crew

Maybe growing up as the number one Aaron Craft fan in all of Northeast Ohio has something to do with this selection, but Craft was unbelievable.

His offensive numbers don’t jump off the page, only averaging a modest 10.0 PTS/ 3.6 REB/ 4.6 AST during his junior campaign. Unfortunately, not everything Craft did can be measured on the stat sheet.

He was always the grittiest player on the defensive side of the ball. Craft broke the Ohio State steals in a career mark, in just his junior year. Teams had to gameplan around him as he was a complete pest to every point guard he went up against.

Craft racked up the awards while at Ohio State taking home: Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, Big Ten All-Freshmen Team, four-time Big Ten All-Defensive Team, Third Team All-Big Ten, Second Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Tournament MVP, two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and two-time NABC Defensive Player of the Year.

#2 Thomas Walkup (Stephen F. Austin) – Team Hines

The name Thomas Walkup might not ring a bell, but his tournament run with Stephen F. Austin might. Walkup led the Lumberjacks to the second round of the tournament with an upset win over #3 West Virginia.

Walkup dropped 33 points against the Mountaineers and almost pulled off the upset over Notre Dame before falling at the buzzer.

Even though Walkup is most notorious for his late-season run in 2016, he had an amazing career at Stephen F. Austin. In his senior year season, he averaged 18.1 PTS/ 6.9 REB/ 4.5 AST and carried SFA to a perfect conference record and a 21 game win streak.

He also took home numerous awards: two-time First-team All-Southland, two-time Southland Player of the Year, three-time Southland Tournament MVP, two-time AP Honorable Mention All American, and the mid-major MVP Lou Henson Award.

#1 Jerome Randle (California) – Eberlein Drive

After running through the top five, I’ve saved the best for last, Jerome Randle.

Randle is another player on this list who dominated in college but wasn’t really given much of an opportunity in the NBA.

A Cal legend, Randle was a scoring machine while playing in the PAC-10. He finished his career as Cal’s all-time leading scorer, three-pointers made, and free throw percentage.

During his senior year, he clocked in a great stat line of 18.6 PTS/ 2.1 REB/ 4.3 AST. His main job on the court was to go score the ball. He was also a two-time First-team All-PAC-10 and PAC-10 Player of the Year.

Despite all the individual awards, Randle was able to lead the Golden Bears to a regular-season PAC-10 championship. Cal also went to the second round of March Madness, where they were defeated by the Duke Blue Devils.

Who do you feel were left out of these rankings, and do you agree where these players were ranked?