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

3. Nigel Williams-Goss – Washington / Gonzaga

Williams-Goss is a rare example of something pretty incredible. A four-star prospect back in 2013, this 6’3 guard from Happy Valley began his career under Lorenzo Romar at Washington. What’s incredible is that after being an impact player for the Huskies, he transferred across the state to Gonzaga and played even better in his lone season with the Bulldogs.

Across his two seasons at Washington, Williams-Goss was a talented scorer and ball distributor, averaging 15.6 points and 5.9 assists in his sophomore season with some impressive scoring displays. However, Washington finished 11th in the Pac-12 and being uncomfortable with some things in the program he decided to transfer. After sitting out the next season, he exploded onto the scene at Gonzaga. He averaged 16.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game all while helping guide the Bulldogs on a run all the way to the national championship game, with 23-point efforts in both the Elite Eight and Final Four wins.

Though honored by the Pac-12 earlier in his career, he really took the accolades for that junior season. He was named Second Team All-American, WCC Player of the Year, and was part of the NCAA All-Tournament team, an incredible progression after a couple of mediocre seasons for his Washington teams. He led the entire nation in win shares and was a fantastic defensive player just as much as on the offensive side. He was drafted late in 2017 and has seen brief action with the Utah Jazz, though most of his playing career has come elsewhere, most recently over in Spain.