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

3. Shane Larkin – Miami

The son of Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin, the younger Larkin opted to focus on basketball instead of baseball. A 5’11 guard from Orlando, Larkin originally committed to DePaul, but changed his recruitment to Miami, hoping to be closer to home. He spent just two seasons playing college basketball, even missing the start of that freshman season due to his transfer, but he certainly made those years count.

Part of Jim Larranaga’s first two Hurricanes teams, Larkin soon entered the starting lineup and became one of the ACC’s best point guards. He had decent numbers as a freshman, but it’s his sophomore season where things really came together. He’d averaged 14.5 points and 4.6 assists for the Hurricanes, leading the program to an ACC Tournament championship and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen, with three 20+ scoring efforts in that conference tournament run.

Larkin was named ACC Player of the Year and Tournament MVP for that incredible sophomore season, a year in which he also led the conference in steals. He was an efficient part of the offense and helped really turn things around in Miami, making a very unexpected run into the NCAA Tournament. Forgoing his final two years of eligibility, Larkin was a first-round draft pick by the Atlanta Hawks and spent parts of four seasons in the NBA, continuing his career overseas as well.