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

4. Taylor Braun – North Dakota State

Not all of these players were highly revered coming out of high school, and you could say that Braun slipped under the radar. A 6’7 guard from Newberg, he made his way out to North Dakota State, growing into a very important piece for coach Saul Phillips and the Bison. By the end of his career, Braun had been noticed by some of those who had overlooked him and was one of the best players in the Summit League.

An impressive talent as a wing, Braun was a starter for nearly his entire career but saw his role in the offense grow as his career progressed. He averaged 15.4 points a game as both a junior and senior, with the Bison settling for CBI appearances in both years. His senior year is where things really came together for both him and the program. Braun averaged 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game and led them to just the program’s second NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bison would then upend Oklahoma in the first round for the program’s first-ever Tourney victory.

Thrice named to the All-Summit League team, Braun’s senior season was where it all came together, as he was named Summit Player of the Year as well as Tournament MVP. Those four years of building had all been worth it, as the program had its first real postseason success. Braun led the Summit League in points and a number of other categories and helped pave the way for North Dakota State to be one of this conference’s premier programs. Eight years after that Tourney appearance, Braun is still playing basketball, most recently suiting up across the ocean in Taiwan.