Baylor Basketball: Re-ranking the top 20 Bear players from 2000-21

2. Pierre Jackson PG (2011-2013)

The plucky 5’9 star from Las Vegas goes down as the best player from Baylor since 2000, for many reasons. Considering the height disadvantage, Jackson made extremely difficult plays so effortless. His clutch ability and elite passing make him such an anomaly. Jackson transferred from College of Southern Idaho and made the absolute best out of his chance to start with Tweety Carter graduating.

Even with Jackson’s height, his jumping ability was never an issue. Nate Robinson is a logical comparison, as both he and Jackson can jump out of the building as Jackson showcased just that before he even suited up in Baylor’s first official game with his 40″ vertical.

With that kind of athleticism, the thought would be that he cannot shoot well. That was not the case in the slightest as Jackson shot 40% from three as he led Baylor to their second Elite 8 appearance in three seasons.

Even with a flooded frontcourt, lead by other notable names on this list in Quincy Acy, Perry Jones III, Quincy Miller, Brady Heslip, and Isaiah Austin, Jackson was still able to be a main contributor.

As a senior, statistically, Jackson took it to a whole new level, as he averaged just under 20 points, 7.1 assists, on 35% from three-point range, and 80% from the free throw line. Most notable performances came from 31 points over Boston College and 17 points in a rare win inside Rupp Arena against Kentucky.

From a success standpoint, Baylor was not meeting the expectation from last year and missed out on the NCAA Tournament. With motivation still left, the Bears would run the table and beat Iowa to win the NIT. Jackson would score 26 against Arizona State, 20 against Providence, and 24 against BYU to advance to the championship game. Jackson averaged double-doubles in four of those games and had a career-high 16 against Arizona State.