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

By Joey Loose | Jul 28, 2022

Mar 19, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Bobby Portis (10) looks for an open teammate as Wofford Terriers forward C.J. Neumann (31) defends in the second half of a game in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Jacksonville Veteran Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

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Arkansas Razorbacks forward Jaylin Williams Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

10. Jaylin Williams – Arkansas

It’s strangely fitting that the first player from Arkansas chose to play for Eric Musselman and the Razorbacks. A four-star recruit and a forward with plenty of intrigue, Williams headed to Arkansas in 2020, spending the last two seasons in the Razorbacks’ frontcourt. The native of Fort Smith had a limited role in his freshman year but really shined this past season as a sophomore.

Williams finished the year averaging 10.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, finishing second in the SEC with those rebound totals. He became a consistent scoring threat in the back half of the season, including a career-high 22-points in a tough loss at Alabama. Williams had a slew of double-doubles this past year, including in all four NCAA Tournament games, with the 15-point, 12-rebound performance in the upset of Gonzaga the standout of the season.

After the season, Williams was named to the All-SEC First Team and was also honored for his defense, finishing atop the conference in defensive rebound percentage while also having solid rebound and assist numbers all year, setting the program record for rebounds. He was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round, choosing to skip his final seasons of eligibility, though he still managed to find his way into the record books in just two years in Fayetteville.

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