Best NCAA basketball players ever from every state

Oklahoma: Wayman Tisdale

Three players must be discussed whenever trying to figure out who the best Oklahoma born player is. Those three are Blake Griffin, Wayman Tisdale and Stacey King. Three different players, with three different styles, same Sooner pride.

Stacey King was a 6-foot-11 center who really developed in his final two years with a 24 and nine per game average which would lead to an All-American selection in his senior year. He also managed to be selected Player of the Year by The Sporting News, while Danny Ferry and Sean Elliott split the Naismith, Associated press, John Wooden, Oscar Robertson and NABC awards.

Blake Griffin would have more success with Player of the Year awards, as he swept the six on the strength of his 23 points, and over 14 rebounds per game while hitting 65 percent of his field goals during the 2008-09 season. His tournament performance was even more impressive with 28.5 points and 15 rebounds while connecting on 78 percent of his field goals. Perhaps just one more victory was needed for him to make the NCAA Tournament team as opposed to the All-Region.

Wayman Tisdale, who according to the Oklahoma Historical Society, was born in Oklahoma and would play three seasons at Oklahoma while being selected to the All-American first team all three seasons. Unlike King and Griffin, one can discuss Tisdale’s total career college numbers because he was that good throughout. In his 104 games, Tisdale averaged over 25 points and 10 rebounds, stats that were not that better than his over 22 points, and more than nine rebounds in seven tournament games.

Player of the Year awards was hogged by Jordan and Patrick Ewing, so Tisdale does not compete with Griffin in that respect, but since Tisdale was so good throughout his career, he should be considered the best collegiate player from Oklahoma.