Big 12 Basketball: Ranking of top 20 overall players since 2000
By Andrew Tineo
14. TJ Ford – G Texas (2001-2003)
Career Stats (2 seasons): 12.9 PPG, 8.0 APG, 80% FT
TJ Ford was one of the first guys that could’ve used another year in college, in order to be higher on this list. Ford was an elite passer, that could get to the free throw line early and often. One of the downfall to Ford’s game was not creating any sort of 3 point shot.
Ford was a horrendous 26% from 3 and was your prototypical pass-first guard. His ability to score near the hoop made him so difficult to play against.
Ford was also a lockdown defender, averaging two steals per game. Ford was a leader for the Texas team and his accolades his sophomore campaign showed. Ford is in a rare company of sweeping the National Players of the Year award.
In 2002-2003, Ford collected the Naismith and Wooden Award. To go along with, being a consensus First Team All-American.
He ranked in the top 3 in the nation in assists during his tenure at Texas and was a huge key to Rick Barnes Final Four run, during that ’02-’03 season.
Even with his accolades to his name, Ford wasn’t a remembered name as his NBA career put a little bit of a blemish on his elite accomplishments in College. Adding a missing conference championship keeps him from reaching the Top 10 status.