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

By Joey Loose | Sep 22, 2022

Dejected Purdue Boilermakers guard Carsen Edwards (3) and Ryan Cline (14) walk off the court following of their NCAA Division I Basketball Championship "Elite 8" basketball game at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY., on Saturday, Mar 30, 2019. The Virginia Cavaliers defeated the Purdue Boilermakers 80-75.The Purdue Boilermakers Play The Virginia Cavaliers In The Elite 8 Of The Ncaa Men S Basketball Championship /

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Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Marcus Smart Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Marcus Smart – Oklahoma State

Long before he was winning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Smart was a top-rated prospect with plenty of collegiate success. Ranked among the top 10 recruits back in 2012, this 6’4 shooting guard from Flower Mound made his way to Oklahoma State, playing a pair of seasons under Travis Ford and really emerging as a fantastic basketball player in the process.

Smart’s first season could certainly be considered more successful, as he emerged with 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He led the Cowboys to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and later scored a career-high 39 points in a win over Memphis as a sophomore. His career ended with a 23-point, 13-rebound effort in a first-round Tourney loss to Gonzaga, but his contributions both on offense and defense were numerous.

He was named Big 12 Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and a Second Team All-American for that debut campaign. In both seasons, Smart was First Team All-Big 12 and was on the conference’s All-Defense team, leading the league in steals both years as well. His contributions on the defensive side were almost more impressive than his skills as a scorer, and he continues that intensity today. The Boston Celtics took him with pick six of the 2014 NBA Draft and he’s still with that franchise eight years later.

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