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

10. Ethan Thompson – Oregon State

A 6’5 guard from Los Angeles, Thompson followed in his older brother’s footsteps in playing at Oregon State, unsurprising when you consider his father remains on staff. But Thompson came with value, as a Top 50 recruit in 2017 and certainly someone who could help the Beavers make a splash in the Pac-12. To an extent, that’s exactly what Thompson did and why he landed on this countdown.

Thompson started every game in four years with the Beavers, with his stats gradually increasing as the years progressed. He averaged at least 3.5 assists per game in each of his four seasons, but by his senior year had eclipsed 15 points an outing. He shot 3-pointers with a decent clip and had a career-high 31-point outing his senior season as well. But his most prominent contribution was helping lead the Beavers to an unexpected run to the Elite Eight as a 12 seed, with a 26-point outing against Tennessee and 22 points against Loyola-Chicago.

Not only was Thompson named to the All-Pac 12 First Team, but his heroics were monumental in Oregon State’s postseason success, including a Pac-12 Tournament title that got them into the Big Dance. That final season saw him finish in the top 10 in the conference in points, assists and steals, and his fingerprints were all over their success. Thompson spent last season in the G-League, but the story on his basketball career likely isn’t fully written just yet.