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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Michigan State junior forward Gavin Schilling (34) guards Middle Tennessee junior forward Reggie Upshaw Jr.CUSA Basketball Msu V Mtsu Game /

20. Reggie Upshaw

A 6’7 forward originally from Chattanooga, Upshaw made the short jaunt north to Middle Tennessee, starring for four seasons in Kermit Davis’s program. He became a Blue Raider back in 2013 and was a major contributor even early in his career. By the time his collegiate career had ended, he and his teammates had made quite a mark in the NCAA Tournament.

Upshaw had solid numbers as an underclassman, but the real magic came later in his career. As a junior, he averaged 13.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, helping lead the Blue Raiders to the CUSA Tournament title. More importantly, he scored 21 points in their shocking upset of Michigan State in the Big Dance. They’d repeat the feat in 2017, as Upshaw averaged 14.5 points as a senior and had 19 in their first round upset over Minnesota, knocking out another Big Ten team from the NCAA Tournament.

Upshaw was the CUSA Tournament MVP as a junior, earned Second Team All-CUSA honors, and helped deliver the unforgettable knockout punch against a very talented Spartans squad. He was one of the conference’s top rebounders during his upperclassman seasons and also had decent steals numbers late in his career. Upshaw’s figures didn’t necessarily jump off the page, but his impact in the postseason certainly did, and those two Big Ten programs won’t soon forget about him.