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

9. Dylan Windler

Windler is a 6’8 power forward originally from Indianapolis. He arrived at Belmont in 2015, spending his first season playing a decent role from the bench. By the end of his four-year journey in Nashville, he’d have become one of the best frontcourt players in recent memory for the Bruins, making a great impact in the OVC.

That first season wasn’t too notable, though his second ended in an OVC regular season title. As a junior, Windler averaged 17.3 points and 9.2 rebounds, taking a massive step forward as an upperclassman. He had a 36-point, 20-rebound effort against Morehead State as a junior after making a pair of trips to the NIT. Senior year was where it all came together for both Windler and Belmont, as he’d average 21.3 points and 10.8 rebounds while taking the Bruins to the NCAA Tournament. A few weeks after a 32-point, 21-rebound effort in the OVC Tournamet, Windler put up 35 points against Maryland in the final game of his career.

He’d be named First Team All-OVC for those final two seasons, which isn’t surprising considering he averaged a double-double as a senior. He finally led Belmont over the hump and into the Big Dance while leading the OVC in rebounding and field goal percentage in those final two seasons. Windler was then taken late in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft and has continued his career at the professional level.