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

6. Jordan Nwora – Louisville

A 6’7 forward from Buffalo, Nwora was one of Rick Pitino’s last recruits at Louisville, though Nwora never played for the Hall of Fame coach. A top 100 prospect, Nwora arrived at Louisville in 2017, playing a season under David Padgett before enjoying sustained success his last two seasons under new coach Chris Mack.

Nwora saw limited run off the bench in that disappointing freshman campaign for the school, but became a full-time starter and star in his sophomore and junior seasons. He averaged at least 17 points and 7 rebounds per game in both of those final seasons, helping lead the Cardinals back to the NCAA Tournament during his sophomore campaign. He scored a career-high 37 points in a road win at Boston College and accumulated more than a dozen double-doubles across his career.

The conference’s Most Improved Player as a sophomore, he was a two time All-ACC honoree, claiming First Team honors for a stellar junior season, his final at the collegiate level. Nwora was also named a Third Team All-American. He finished that season 2nd in the ACC in scoring while also ranking up there in a number of statistics and hitting more than 40% of his long-range attempts. He became a late draft pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020 and is still looking for a new home to continue his basketball career.