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

7. Tanner Groves – Eastern Washington / Oklahoma

It’s not hard to understand the path that Groves has taken, and this 6’9 forward from Spokane has one more season left in the tank. Relatively unheralded out of high school, Groves played for three seasons at Eastern Washington, emerging as a star and standout in that junior season. He then transferred with his brother Jacob to Oklahoma, playing last season for new head coach Porter Moser.

Groves played a very limited role as an underclassman, meaning much of his success at Eastern Washington came in that junior year. He averaged 17.2 points and 8.0 rebounds, taking a major step forward in every aspect of his game. After leading the Eagles to the Big Sky Tournament title, he scored a career-high 35 points in a fantastic performance against Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. At Oklahoma, Groves wasn’t needed to run the show but did put up 11.6 points a game last year for a Sooners squad that sometimes struggled to find its footing.

Groves was named Big Sky Player of the Year and Tournament MVP for a junior season in which he led the conference in defensive rebounding, effective field goal percentage, and a number of other metrics. His first season at Oklahoma saw him lead the Big 12 in true shooting percentage and continue his drive as one of the best interior scorers in the nation. With reinforcements coming to Oklahoma, Groves returns for one final college basketball season next year, hoping to take the Sooners to the next level.