NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Minnesota of last decade
By Joey Loose
5. Nate Wolters – South Dakota State
Wolters scored a lot of points across an impressive college basketball career back nearly a decade ago. A 6’4 guard from St. Cloud, he made his way west, playing under Scott Nagy at South Dakota State for four seasons. He became a star in the Summit League and was certainly the Jackrabbits’ first standout player since joining D1 just a few seasons earlier.
Wolters was a walking bucket, already averaging more than 19 points a game as a sophomore. He became the best shooter in the Summit League and had some truly standout games, like his mind-blowing 53-point effort against IPFW as a senior. In each of his final two seasons, he was averaging at least 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game, while also leading the Jackrabbits to their first two appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
Three times All-Summit First Team and twice Summit League Tournament MVP, Wolters topped it all with that senior season, winning Summit Player of the Year and being named Third Team All-American. He was a real standout shooter and one of the nation’s best offensive players and ball distributors, while also helping the Jackrabbits’ breakthrough at this level. He played briefly in the NBA after being a late draft pick but has spent most of his professional career playing overseas, with Greece his most recent stop.