NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Arizona of last decade

4. Nick Johnson – Arizona

Among the top 25 recruits in the 2011 class, Johnson committed to playing for Sean Miller at Arizona. A native of Gilbert, he starred at prep school in Las Vegas before joining the Wildcats’ frontcourt, spending three seasons at the school. He was elevated into the starting lineup soon into his freshman year and never looked back, starting 101 straight games at guard for the Wildcats.

His freshman season was a good start, but Johnson get better with each subsequent season. After being named to the All-Freshman team in the Pac-12, he had a solid sophomore year, helping lead Arizona to the Sweet Sixteen. His junior season was a breakthrough campaign, with Johnson averaging 16.3 points per game and becoming one of the best defenders in the conference, earning All-Defense team honors. Johnson scored double-digits in all four NCAA Tournament games, helping lead the Wildcats to the Elite Eight.

He was named Pac-12 Player of the Year for his efforts, finishing among the league leaders in most major categories and making a major impact on Arizona’s impressive season. He chose to forego his senior season and was drafted in the second round by the Houston Rockets. He won a G-League championship but has spent much of his professional career overseas. A talented guard who rose to become the best player in the Pac-12, we can only dream about what could’ve happened had he led Arizona to that Final Four.