Best NCAA basketball players ever from every state

Massachusetts: Shabazz Napier

Aside from being one of the more difficult state names to spell, deciding the best player to come from Massachusetts is no easier. With 45 Massachusetts born players having played in the NBA, there were sure to be a few stand-outs. When players like Travis Best and Dana Barros only get a brief mention in the introductory paragraph, some big names are to follow. Yet, it is not the names that are big but the performances.

The All-Time NBA scoring leader for a Massachusetts born player is Bill Laimbeer. His NBA career is what he is most known for, his three years at Notre Dame were effective as well. His averages of seven points, six rebounds and 70 percent from the free-throw line, which he slightly improved upon during the Fighting Irish’s two runs to the Elite Eight and one Final Four run, do not indicate the role he played. The problem lies in the fact that perhaps he would have had a more prominent role if he was better. That is where Napier rises above.

Over his 143 games at Connecticut University Napier won a National Championship as a freshman and as a senior, during the latter, he was named the tournaments Most Outstanding Player for averaging 20 points, over five rebounds, more than four assists with over two steals per game. His shooting percentages were also better than his career 46 percent from the field and a clutch 94 percent from the line.

Despite his All-American first-team selection being impressive, he was not able to capture any of the national spotlight from Doug McDermott, but Napier’s career stats and even better tournament performances, rank him as the top player born in Massachusetts.