NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Missouri of last decade
By Joey Loose
3. Jacob Gilyard – Richmond
Gilyard arrived on the college scene as a 5’9 guard from Kansas City, landing at Richmond way back in 2017. Seemingly undersized, this point guard may not have seemed like much to some people, but he really made an impact on the sport, and we’re not exaggerating when we say this.
Taking benefit of the pandemic bonus season, Gilyard starred for five seasons for the Spiders, averaging double-digit points each season. The high-point offensively was 16.2 points per game as a sophomore, but Gilyard was more known for ball distribution and his defense, putting up impressive assist and steal numbers across his career. He had a career-high 32 points in a conference tournament win over VCU, while putting together a 24-point, 6-assist performance in an NCAA Tournament win over Iowa this past March.
Four times Gilyard was named to the A-10 All-Defense team, winning the Defensive Player of the Year during his third season. Four times he was named All-A-A10, including a First Team honor for that same season. The most impressive feat is that he is the all-time NCAA basketball leader in steals, having also led the entire nation in that category in his final two seasons. The A-10’s leader in steals and assists for four straight seasons, Gilyard finds himself taking his game to the next level, hoping to latch on with an NBA team for next season.