NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Arkansas of last decade
By Joey Loose
5. Austin Reaves – Wichita State / Oklahoma
In the news lately because of his nickname, Reaves was just a kid from Newark back when he committed to Wichita State and Gregg Marshall back in 2016. The 6’5 guard played just two seasons with the Shockers before transferring to Oklahoma, finishing his collegiate career under Lon Kruger in the Big 12. Based on what’s happened, his decision to transfer from a brilliant move.
He was a rotational player at Wichita State, only starting 11 games in his two seasons, though he had an impressive run of 20-point performances late in his sophomore year. He sat out the following season before becoming an impact player at Oklahoma. He averaged 14.7 points per game as a junior and punctuated his season with a 41-point outing in the team’s final game, the regular season finale against TCU. His final season was even more impressive, getting that points average up to 18.3. Reaves had 50 total points in a pair of NCAA Tournament games, including 27 in a loss to Gonzaga.
Reaves was named to the All-Big 12 First Team for that fantastic senior season, one in which he also averaged 4.6 assists per game. He was Top 5 in the Big 12 in both points and assists, helping the Sooners to that second round of the NCAA Tournament. He went undrafted last year, but caught on with the Los Angeles Lakers and became an important piece for the team as the season went along. It’s impossible to know what would’ve happened had he stayed with the Shockers, but Reaves clearly has no regrets after turning into a star for the Sooners.