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

3. Pierre Jackson – Baylor

The job Scott Drew has done to build the Baylor basketball program has been some of the most impressive work in college basketball history, and recruits like Jackson were a big stepping stone back in the earlier days. A 5’10 guard from Las Vegas, he made his way to Baylor way back in 2011, playing and starring for a pair of seasons for Drew and the Bears, long before they’d win that national championship in 2021.

Jackson was a talented point guard who could also score with ease, averaging 13.8 points and 5.9 assists per game as a freshman. That season also saw him put up at least 15 points in all four of the Bears’ Tournament games during a run to the Elite Eight. He scored a career-high 35 points against Iowa State. His numbers as a sophomore were even more impressive, now up to 19.8 points and 7.1 assists per game. While the Bears struggled late in the year, Jackson helped lead the team to the NIT title, a fitting end to his collegiate career in 2013.

Jackson was All-Big 12 Second Team in both of his collegiate seasons and also was named NIT Most Valuable Player after picking up that title. He actually led the Big 12 in points, assists, and field goals during that sophomore season, racking up a considerable number of assists in just two years on the court. He was drafted in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft, but has spent nearly all of his professional career playing overseas.