NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 20 in 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
4. Jayson Kent (Indiana State)
This past season was certainly the best of Kent’s career both individually and for his own team. He spent his underclassman seasons playing at Bradley and did solid work, but opted to transfer inside the conference, landing at Indiana State in 2022. His first year with the Sycamores was a solid effort as a bench weapon, but this senior year saw Kent take a massive step forward.
Contributing on a historic season for the Sycamores, Kent averaged 13.5 points and 8.1 rebounds in his first season as a full-time starter. At first glance, Kent put up impressive figures, leading his conference in rebounding while earning Second Team All-MVC honors. His game was even more impressive when you look at his offensive numbers, as his 74.5% mark from inside the arc led the entire nation. This was clearly an asset for an Indiana State team that nabbed 32 wins and won the conference.
A regular scorer and contributor for the Sycamores, Kent performed well throughout the season but saved his best for MVC play. Kent had 24 points and 13 rebounds at Northern Iowa and later grabbed 20 rebounds in a key win over Drake. A few 20-point games came later on, while Kent really showed up during Indiana State’s NIT run. He dropped 35 points in the tournament’s opening round and actually shot 89% from 2 in his final seven games.