NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of New Mexico of last decade

4. Jaye Crockett – Texas Tech

Crockett is a 6’7 forward from Clovis who found his way to Texas Tech. Arriving on campus in 2010, Crockett spent much of his early years as a bench player but really emerged as a solid piece for the Red Raiders during his senior season. He also had the unfortunate honor of playing for four different head coaches; a different one in each of his collegiate seasons in Lubbock.

After limited chances as a freshman, Crockett settled into a role as the Red Raiders’ sixth man for the next two seasons. Under interim coach Chris Walker, he averaged 11.9 points and 6.5 rebounds off the bench as a junior, including a career-high 14 rebounds against North Carolina A&T. He was finally a full-time starting forward as a senior under Tubby Smith, averaging 13.9 points per game, including a pair of 20-point outings to end his collegiate career.

He was a solid piece throughout his early career, but that senior year was when he really began to shine. He was named All-Big 12 Third Team and led the Big 12 in field goal percentage. He was one of the conference’s best rebounders for much of his tenure and was by far the best scorer and rebounder at Texas Tech during his senior year on a team clearly still rebuilding. A long international career followed, with Crockett winning honors in the overseas leagues of several different countries.