Mountain West Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
16. Jordan Caroline
A 6’7 wing from Champaign, Illinois, Caroline originally stayed pretty close to home, choosing Southern Illinois. However, he’d transfer from the Salukis after a decent freshman season, eventually landing at Nevada in 2016. Across the next three seasons, he’d become a full-time starter and major part of the success for the Wolf Pack.
In his first season, he averaged 15.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, helping lead Nevada on their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in a decade. He also had a 45-point outburst against New Mexico. During his junior year, he was up to 17.7 points and 8.6 rebounds a game, continuing to be a major contributor, this time as the Wolf Pack won 29 games and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. Caroline had similar numbers and helped produce another fantastic season as a senior, one that ended in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
Caroline was named MWC Tournament MVP as a sophomore and First Team All-MWC in his final two seasons, even landing a place on the league’s All-Defense team. He contributed significantly as Nevada went 86-20 during his three years in the MWC, standing out as a talented scorer and rebounder for the Wolf Pack. That era certainly stands out in Nevada’s basketball lore and Caroline was one of the biggest reasons that it happened.