It should be no surprise to hear that thousands of young kids around the United States dream of playing in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. When these current players and coaches get their moment to shine, they always seem to relay this, dreaming of these moments since they were younger. The NCAA Tournament is the ultimate dream of pre-professional basketball; the chance for any team or player to shine in March; just ask Saint Peter’s last season.
Those moments don’t come for everyone, and it’s even rarer to get the chance to play D1 basketball. Among those thousands, only a select few will play in the Big Dance or shine in the spotlight. Today, we’re going to be focusing on some of those players as we continue our series that looks at the best college basketball players from each state. We’re looking back at the past decade’s worth of seasons and success and today we’re focusing on the state of Kansas.
The birthplace of basketball, Kansas has produced a fair amount of talent in recent years. This isn’t a basketball hotbed like California or New York or even Indiana, but there’s no doubt that this state has some talent on their junior circuits. There are only three D1 programs in the state, with Kansas, Kansas State, and Wichita State all actually represented today, but remember that this piece isn’t about the best players who played their college ball in the state.
Before we move into the rankings, this is just a final reminder that this is an article about players from the state of Kansas. For this series, we identify players as being from this state if their hometowns are from Kansas, not necessarily just their place of birth or high schools; the rankings for all the states could look really different if that was the case. We know there are some great players ahead, so let’s get right into the rankings.
10. Cody Riley – UCLA
A 6’9 forward from Kansas City (yes, the one on the Kansas side), Riley was a top 50 recruit from the 2017 class who chose to take his talents west to UCLA. Before his career got started, he was one of the players arrested for shoplifting in China, though his involvement certainly made fewer waves than LiAngelo Ball. The following season he started playing basketball for the Bruins and developed into a very solid forward under coach Mick Cronin.
As an underclassman, he had a few decent outings but clearly wasn’t the first scoring option, even in the frontcourt. As a junior, he averaged 10.0 points per game, including a career-high 22 points in a win over Arizona State. That same year, he started all of UCLA’s six NCAA Tournament games, including 14 points in their Final Four loss to Gonzaga. He started most of his games across four years with the Bruins, including some decent numbers this most recent season.
Even though he was a talented power forward who contributed to that deep Tournament team, it’s no surprise that on a squad with Johnny Juzang, Jaime Jaquez, and others that Riley is a bit underappreciated. He was an important cog for the Bruins for four seasons, racking up decent rebounding and block numbers, especially during that important junior year.
9. Grant Sherfield – Wichita State / Nevada
It’s a three-school career for this 6’2 guard originally from Wichita and it started pretty close to home. Sherfield attended high school in Florida and Kansas before committing to Wichita State. He’d spend just a single season with the Shockers, spending these last two seasons as an important piece of the puzzle at Nevada. A new home awaits Sherfield for next season, but let’s focus on what he’s already accomplished.
Sherfield had a decent freshman year at Wichita State, averaging 8.1 points per game, but was far more productive after transferring to Nevada. With the Wolf Pack, he became one of the top scorers in the MWC, averaging at least 18 points and 6 assists in both his sophomore and junior seasons. He had a 20-point, 14-assist game in a win over Boise State in 2021, and had a career-high 31-point performance against George Mason the following year.
He was named All-MWC First Team as a sophomore and Third Team as a junior, making major contributions to this Nevada team. He led the conference in total points that first season and was the MWC’s top assist guy during those two seasons. Sherfield transferred to Oklahoma and will play next season for the Sooners, expecting to play a major role for Porter Moser’s team that looks to take a step forward in the Big 12.
8. Semi Ojeleye – Duke / SMU
A native of Ottawa (Kansas, not Canada), Ojeleye was a top 40 recruit who took an unusual path in his collegiate career. The 6’8 forward originally committed to Duke, arriving on campus in 2013. However, he played very minimally across two seasons with the Blue Devils, leading him to transfer to SMU. Ojeleye only spent one season with those Mustangs but it was a pretty successful season.
Ojeleye saw limited time at Duke and was granted his release late in 2014, leaving the program during a season that would end in a national championship. When he retook the court with SMU, he was an immediate factor for the Mustangs. During that season, he averaged 19.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, scoring in the double-digits in all but one of his games. He helped lead SMU to AAC regular season and tournament titles, including a 36-point, 12-rebound effort against East Carolina in the tourney.
Ojeleye may not have fit on that Duke team, but he won AAC Player of the Year in his lone year with the Mustangs. He led the conference in points, free throws, and offensive rating and certainly was an impactful player on an SMU team that finished the year 30-5. The AAC Tournament MVP did not stay beyond that season, declaring for the draft and going late in the second round to the Boston Celtics, having seen time in each of the last five NBA seasons.
7. Clayton Custer – Iowa State / Loyola-Chicago
Custer is one of the better examples that a player who struggles at the power conference level can still make their mark on college basketball. The 6’1 guard from Overland Park spent his freshman year at Iowa State and barely factored, opting to transfer to Loyola-Chicago. The final three seasons of his collegiate career saw not only massively increased production but his role in history.
Custer averaged at least 11 points per game in each of those three seasons with the Ramblers, but it’s his redshirt junior year that deserves the attention. He averaged 13.2 points and 4.1 assists per game and helped lead the 11-seeded Ramblers to an incredible run to the Final Four. Custer scored at least 14 points in three of their five Tournament games, and scored a career-high 26 points the following season in an important win at Drake.
Custer was named the MVC Player of the Year in 2018, a few weeks before leading the Ramblers on that historic run. He was an impact player for this program and this conference, even leading it in true shooting percentage during that season. Custer was a very important piece for Porter Moser to turn things around at Loyola, and he’s currently serving a minor role on Moser’s Oklahoma coaching staff.
6. Ron Baker – Wichita State
Baker was another player who didn’t travel far for his collegiate years, as the 6’4 guard from Scott City made his way to Wichita State in 2012. He played four seasons under Gregg Marshall and didn’t leave campus until he really put his mark on program history.
Despite missing time due to a foot injury as a freshman, he managed to come back in time to help lead the Shockers to a surprise Final Four run in 2013, with a 16-point effort against Gonzaga in the second round. He was an important piece the following season as the Shockers marched to a 35-0 start, and did score 20 points in their loss to Kentucky. Each of his final two seasons saw him average at least 14 points and 4 rebounds per game, continuing to make that important impact on the best program in the MVC.
Baker was named to the All-MVC First Team three straight seasons and certainly established his place in Shockers history. He was a vital piece not only on that Final Four run, but for a program that averaged more than 30 wins per season while he was on campus. While he went undrafted, he briefly spent time in the NBA before continuing his career overseas, but his impact at Wichita State is something that will never be forgotten.
5. Dean Wade – Kansas State
After growing up in St. John, Wade burst onto the scene playing under Bruce Weber at Kansas State. A 6’10 forward, he was a full-time starter throughout a four-year career with the Wildcats and was an important piece for some surprisingly successful teams.
Wade made solid contributions in his first two seasons and was already a starter for the Wildcats. His junior season saw him average 16.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, but an injury made him a nonfactor as Kansas State advanced to the Elite Eight. He did have a career-high 34 points in a win at Iowa State and was just as productive the following season, but his career was cut short by yet another injury.
Wade was a two-time member of the All-Big 12 First Team and it’s a wonder what he could’ve done had those two seasons not been limited by injuries. He was clearly a very important piece on Kansas State’s most recent of success, pairing nicely with Barry Brown and Xavier Sneed late in his career. Wade was not drafted following his senior season, but has been a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the last three years, already playing more than 100 games at the NBA level.
4. Christian Braun – Kansas
One good season can do wonders for one’s stock, and it’s fair to say that Braun is coming off a pretty spectacular season. The 6’6 guard from Overland Park spent the last three seasons playing for Bill Self at Kansas, recently culminating his career by cutting down the nets as a national champion before moving on for the rest of his career.
He was a bench piece with decent stats as a freshman before working his way into a more important role as a sophomore. Most of our focus will be on that junior season where he averaged 14.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Jayhawks. He helped lead the Jayhawks to eleven straight wins to finish the season, including a double-double in the national championship game against North Carolina this past April.
A Big 12 All-Freshman honoree and a recent member of the All-Big 12 Second Team, that junior season was super sweet for Braun, who continued his burst onto the scene and played a major role on a national championship team. He actually finished 2nd in the Big 12 in points while also 3rd in field goal percentage. Braun was drafted by the Denver Nuggets late in the first round of the NBA Draft and will look to transition that impact to the NBA.
3. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl – Villanova
He may not have won a national title like some of his recent predecessors, but Robinson-Earl still had a very successful career at Villanova. A 6’9 forward from Overland Park, he was a five-star recruit who chose the Wildcats over several other high-profile offers. Robinson-Earl was an important piece in the Villanova frontcourt for two seasons, arriving on campus in 2019 before leaving two years later for the NBA.
He started every game of his career and already made an impact as a freshman, averaging 10.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in impressive fashion. He had a 24-point, 13-rebound effort in his college debut and likely would have caused more damage before the pandemic shortened the season. His scoring was even more impressive the following season, averaging 15.7 points per game, including a career-high 28-point effort in a win over Arizona State.
Robinson-Earl was named Big East Rookie of the Year for that fantastic freshman campaign and topped that by taking home Player of the Year honors as a sophomore. He was a high-impact player on a Villanova squad replacing a ton of stars from their recent title teams, though Robinson-Earl’s unit ran into a buzz saw with Baylor in the Tournament. Leaving college after two years, he was drafted early in the second round and continues to play for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
2. Perry Ellis – Kansas
It felt like a lifetime, but Ellis spent just four seasons starring at Kansas. A 6’8 forward originally from Wichita, he was a McDonald’s All-American and highly-touted recruit lured by Bill Self to stay in his home state with the Jayhawks. By the time his career was over, he had certainly earned his place in Jayhawks lore.
Ellis made solid contributions as a freshman before blossoming into a full-time starter and star. In each of his next two seasons, he averaged at least 13 points and 6 rebounds per game before running that total to 16.9 points per game as a senior. He played in 11 NCAA Tournament games during his career and had numerous standout performances, including a 27-point game against Maryland in the Sweet Sixteen as a senior.
Twice named to the All-Big 12 First Team and twice to the All-Big 12 Tournament team, Ellis made himself known on these Jayhawks, finishing his career among the conference’s all-time leading scorers and rebounders. He was also named a Second Team All-American after a stellar senior season, helping lead those Jayhawks to the Elite Eight. Ellis never got a shot in the NBA but has bounced around in professional basketball since leaving Kansas six years ago.
1. Willie Cauley-Stein – Kentucky
It’s hard not to be impressed by what Cauley-Stein accomplished across his college career. A four-star prospect back in 2012, the 7’0 forward from Olathe chose Kentucky, arriving just months after the Wildcats won John Calipari his first national championship. Cauley-Stein was on some teams loaded with talent, but he certainly found his chance to shine in the coming years.
As a freshman, he played a limited role, though his chances expanded after an injury to star Nerlens Noel. The following season saw him average 6.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game as the Wildcats embarked on a run to the national title game, which he missed due to injury late in the year. His third and final season at Kentucky was his most successful, playing a major role as Kentucky won their first 38 games of the season, with a pair of near-double-doubles during their NCAA Tournament run.
Cauley-Stein’s presence on defense was vital for the Wildcats, and he was given the SEC and National Defensive Player of the Year awards as a junior. He was also a First Team All-American and an All-SEC First Teamer, with his defense offering great balance on a Wildcats team loaded with offensive talent. A few months later he was a lottery pick of the Sacramento Kings and has spent the last seven seasons in the NBA.
We’re now finished with our look at the best college basketball players across the last decade from the state of Kansas; did we get it right or do you disagree with the players we highlighted?