5. JD Notae – Jacksonville / Arkansas
A 6’1 guard from Covington, Notae wasn’t like some of the other names on this state’s list; he actually spent four seasons playing college basketball. Notae wasn’t some high-radar prospect out of high school, settling for a role at Jacksonville. After two seasons with the Dolphins, he’d transfer to Arkansas and star for two final seasons under Eric Musselman, having just completed his collegiate career.
He played a starring role in his two seasons with the Dolphins in the A-Sun, averaging at least 15 points in both seasons and being vital to their backcourt. He had a career-high 40 points in a game his sophomore season against a non-D1 foe. He’d arrive in Arkansas in 2019, sitting out that first season due to transferring, becoming a critical bench player as a redshirt junior, and then playing an important role on the most recent Razorbacks squad, averaging 18.3 points per game. Notae had 21 points in the team’s upset win over Gonzaga in the Sweet Sixteen.
Notae was honored in every year of his career, being part of the All-A-Sun team, winning SEC Sixth Man of the Year as a junior, and being honored as All-SEC First Team as a senior. During that final campaign, he led the conference in steals, was second in points, and was a critical leader on a Razorbacks squad that made a second consecutive Elite Eight run. He signed with the Golden State Warriors last month for their summer league squad after going undrafted and likely has some intriguing years of basketball ahead.