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

17. Cameron Delaney

A 6’4 guard from Harker Heights, Texas, Delaney’s first taste of college basketball came at Denver back in 2014. He’d spent less than a full season there before transferring to Sam Houston State, where he’d spend the next four years. Delaney would play just two games that next year as a redshirt and would struggle initially to claim playing time with the Bearkats. However, he’d find his footing by his senior year and went out on a major high note.

Across his first three years at Sam Houston State, Delaney played 59 games, starting just four of them while averaging less than 5 points a game. His inclusion today is based on an explosive step forward in his senior season. He’d help lead the Bearkats to a regular season title in the Southland by averaging 13.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, far exceeding his previous career highs. He was a marvelous performer late in the year and the Bearkats would win all five of his games with at least 21 points scored that season, though they’d settle for a trip to the NIT.

Delaney’s first few years weren’t anything special, but he emerged as the Southland Player of the Year in 2019. Everything really clicked and came together for both him and this Sam Houston State program in that final year, as Delaney finished among the most efficient offensive players in the league. There was a lot to like about his game late in his career, even with those struggles earlier on. He was clearly very important to the Bearkats’ backcourt.