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

8. Ryan Spangler – Gonzaga / Oklahoma

A 6’8 forward from Tuttle, Spangler originally enrolled at Gonzaga but played sparingly during his freshman season with the Bulldogs. After sitting out and redshirting, he transferred back home to Oklahoma, starting every game across three impressive seasons with the Sooners and playing a major role in Lon Kruger’s revival of the program.

After getting mostly reserve minutes at Gonzaga, he settled into a starting role at Oklahoma. He averaged right around 10 points and 9 rebounds per game in each of his three seasons with the Sooners and was certainly the program’s best rebounder throughout his three-way stint. He had an 18-rebound effort against Kansas as a senior, but the thrill came later in that season, as he helped lead the Sooners to the Final Four to end his collegiate career.

Spangler was named All-Big 12 Third Team for his efforts as a senior, leading the conference in 2-point field goal percentage and rebounds on the year. He was an important piece on both sides of the ball for the Sooners, though he was never expected to be the primary scoring option, playing alongside studs like Buddy Hield for some of his career. He made a wise choice transferring from Gonzaga and flourished in the Oklahoma system. Spangler then played overseas in Japan after his college eligibility was complete.