Big 12 Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

5. Jared Butler

A fringe Top 100 prospect from Reserve, Louisiana, Butler was certainly talented but choosing Baylor helped him realize that talent. A 6’3 point guard, he spent three seasons with the Bears, helming the offense as the starting point guard for nearly his entire career. It’s a career that ended in glory as he led the Bears to the 2021 NCAA Tournament championship.

After averaging 10.2 points per game as a freshman, there was certainly reason to be excited about Butler, but this was just the beginning. He had a 31-point outburst against Kansas late in his freshman season and was an even more potent scorer as a sophomore. After the pandemic ended that season prematurely, he returned for year three and helped make Baylor history. Butler averaged 16.7 points and 4.8 assists and would score 22 points in the Bears’ national championship victory over Gonzaga.

Before the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Butler had already been named a First Team All-American, First Team All-Big 12, and to the conference’s All-Defense squad. He actually led the Big 12 in points, steals, and 3-point percentage. A few weeks later, his dynamic efforts in the Big Dance got him named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. His name will be remembered for his role in that national title for years to come ad his impact in those three years was certainly major.