NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 2 in 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
Honorable Mentions
Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State)
An outstanding talent originally from Lawrence, Kansas, Mayo really established himself these last few seasons with the Jackrabbits. Mayo averaged 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists this year as a junior, earning Summit League Player of the Year honors. Not only was he the best 3-point shooter in the league, but he helped take the Jackrabbits back to the Big Dance again; though we’ll see more of him next season after transferring back home to Kansas.
Grant Nelson (Alabama)
After three brilliant years in the Summit League at North Dakota State, Nelson didn’t shy away from the challenges after transferring to Alabama. The senior averaged 11.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, becoming a valuable frontcourt weapon for a Crimson Tide team that made a run to the Final Four. Nelson had several great showings in the Big Dance, including a 24-point outpouring against North Carolina.
Myles Rice (Washington State)
A redshirt freshman guard from Georgia, Rice was a welcomed addition on court for the Cougars in a breakout season at Washington State. He’d average 14.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, helping take the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in sixteen years. Rice was named Pac-12 Rookie of the Year and finished Top 5 in the conference in both assists and steals, getting his career off to a fantastic start.
Braeden Smith (Colgate)
Already an incredibly successful player as an underclassman, Smith took another step forward as a sophomore for the Raiders. Colgate’s dynamic point guard put up 12.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game to earn Patriot League Player of the Year honors. One of the best all-around mid-major players in the country, he was Tournament MVP and led the Raiders back to the Big Dance yet again.
Bruce Thornton (Ohio State)
While things didn’t transpire as expected for the Buckeyes, Thornton played really well as a sophomore this past season. He averaged 15.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game, sitting among the leaders in the Big Ten in both scoring and assists. He was named Third Team All-Big Ten and played solidly down the stretch under interim coach Jake Diebler, including 22 points in their upset win over Purdue.