NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Ohio of last decade
By Joey Loose
2. C. J. McCollum – Lehigh
Long before becoming a star in the NBA, McCollum was an overlooked prospect who had to settle for playing his collegiate ball at Lehigh in the Patriot League. A 6’3 guard from Canton, McCollum certainly showed that he was an impressive talent across those four seasons and was responsible for one of the biggest March Madness upsets of the decade.
McCollum was a force offensively across his entire career with the Mountain Hawks. He averaged 19.1 points a game as a freshman before increasing that average above 21 points for each of his final three seasons. He shot a mind-blowing 51% from 3 as a senior before breaking his foot midway through the season. He took the Mountain Hawks twice to the NCAA Tournament, scoring 30 points in a massive upset over 3-seed Duke back in 2012.
McCollum was twice the Patriot League Player of the Year and likely would’ve won as a senior had he not gotten hurt. He led the conference in points and steals in multiple seasons and still rates as one of the best offensive weapons to ever play in the Patriot League. He was a lottery pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, playing the first nine seasons of his career with the Portland Trailblazers and New Orleans Pelicans.