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

10. Nate Watson – Providence

Today’s list kicks off with a 6’10 center from Arlington who certainly shined in his collegiate career. Watson made his way to Providence and became a critical weapon for Ed Cooley across five seasons with the Friars. A minor piece early in his career, Watson grew into one of the best interior players in the nation by his fifth collegiate year.

Watson played an important role for Cooley, though his minutes were limited at the beginning of his career. He averaged 11.7 points and 5.2 rebounds a game in a breakout sophomore season before playing a smaller role as a junior. Watson’s real breakthrough came in his fourth season, averaging 16.9 points and 6.7 rebounds, leading the Friars in both categories while scoring a career-high 30 points against St. John’s. He returned for his bonus season from the pandemic and was a critical piece for a Friars squad that won the Big East regular season title and made the Sweet Sixteen.

Watson’s emergence saw him named Second Team All-Big East in each of his final two seasons. He was the conference’s best interior scorer for those final campaigns and was among the conference’s best rebounders as well. His career ended this past season and he left campus having made a tremendous impact on this Friars team. He’s now off to Europe to begin his professional basketball career.