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

19. Marquis Vance

Vance is a 6’7 forward from Tchula, Mississippi who found collegiate success at nearby Alcorn State. He originally joined the program back in 2013 under Luther Riley, but helped the Braves take strides forward as an upperclassman under new head coach Montez Robinson.

He was already a starter and double-digit scorer as a freshman, dropping 20 points several times as an underclassman. He averaged a career-best 13.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore, albeit in a rough year for the program. His Braves would finish 2nd in the SWAC in each of his final two years, with Vance putting up decent numbers, really bouncing back as a contributor as a senior, with 10.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

Vance was named First Team All-SWAC both as a sophomore and as a senior, putting up great numbers in both of those seasons, while playing a big role in Alcorn State’s revival after 2015. Vance was a great rebounder, leading the league in defensive rebounding in those two honored seasons, while he’d also finished third in blocks as a senior. Vance played his role well in the back end for Alcorn State and really found his footing late in his career.