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 Marshall Thundering Herd head coach Dan D’Antoni (left) talks with guard Jon Elmore Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Jon Elmore

Elmore is a 6’3 point guard from Charleston, West Virginia who had a monumental impact during his years of college ball. He starred at Marshall in his home state and became one of college basketball’s top scorers during his career. He arrived on campus in 2015 as part of Dan D’Antoni’s first recruiting class and would leave four years later with plenty of accolades and unforgettable memories.

Elmore averaged 15.2 points a game as a freshman but put up 35 on Southern Miss in the regular season finale, a sign of things to come. He’d average greater than 19 points a game in his final three seasons, shooting just under 36% from the 3 in his career. During his junior year, he averaged 22.7 points and 6.8 assists and had a pair of triple-doubles. He also led the Thundering Herd to the CUSA Tournament title and led the way with 27 points in an upset win over Wichita State during the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Impressive numbers would follow as a senior.

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Not only was Elmore the league’s top scorer in each of his last three seasons, but his 2638 career points is the all-time lead in the conference’s history. He was thrice named First Team All-CUSA and was Tournament MVP during that fantastic junior season. During his career, Elmore also ranked among the national leaders in assists on multiple occasions and was involved in every aspect on offense for the Thundering Herd. He truly had an incredible impact in the CUSA and had his shining moment in the Big Dance as well.