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

By Joey Loose | Jul 19, 2023

Mar 19, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; North Texas Mean Green guard James Reese (0) celebrates with guard Mardrez McBride (1) and guard Javion Hamlet (3) during overtime against the Purdue Boilermakers in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

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CUSA Basketball Alabama Crimson Tide guard Nick King Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports /

10. Nick King

King was considered a Top 50 prospect in the class of 2013 and opted to stay at home. A 6’7 forward from Memphis, he had a pair of seasons with a limited impact with the Tigers before transferring to Alabama. He’d only play seven games in the SEC with the Crimson Tide before transferring again, finishing off his career with a single season at Middle Tennessee, coming after the Blue Raiders had made consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament.

While Middle Tennessee did not return to the NCAA Tournament in 2018, they got a major weapon in King and he had a profound impact during that season. He showed his true potential, averaging 21.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in becoming a major playmaker in the CUSA. He keyed the program to some impressive wins and another CUSA regular season title, though the Blue Raiders settled for the NIT, with King dropping 24 points at Louisville in his final game.

The numbers were impressive across the board and King was named CUSA Player of the Year. He had a monumental impact for a Blue Raiders team that was replacing a lot of talent from the previous seasons, and got the program to a 25-win campaign in Kermit Davis’s final season. He was a top scorer and rebounder and finally proved his recruiting ranking with his dominant play in the CUSA.