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

21. Johnathan Motley

Baylor has seen a significant amount of talent on campus in recent years and Motley is certainly one of the older names that made waves with the Bears. A 6’9 forward from Houston, he was the starting center for the Bears as a freshman and junior, playing a significant role off the bench in his sophomore season in the middle.

Motley began at Baylor in 2014 and had good numbers as a freshman with the Bears, but the best was yet to come. We’ll skip right to his junior season, where he averaged 17.3 points and 9.9 rebounds a game, becoming the focal point for Baylor’s attack. He had a monstrous 32-point, 20-rebound performance in a win against Texas and eventually led the Bears to the Sweet Sixteen. He scored in double figures in the final eighteen games of his career.

Motley was a major weapon for the Bears and ended his three-year collegiate career in style. He was named a Second Team All-American and also won the Karl Malone Award, showcasing his talents as the nation’s best big man. He led the Big 12 in rebounding and interior scoring and was exceptionally impactful for the Bears’ postseason run. Better things were in store for Baylor just four years later, but Motley was an important piece that helped build this program.