Fansided

Best NCAA basketball players ever from every state

By Trevor Sinodhinos

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MARCH 23: Ja Morant #12 of the Murray State Racers attempts a free throw against the Florida State Seminoles in the second half during the second round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 23, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MARCH 23: Ja Morant #12 of the Murray State Racers attempts a free throw against the Florida State Seminoles in the second half during the second round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 23, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Utah: Wataru Misaka

With 25 NBA players having been born in Utah, there is enough of a sample to go a number of ways with this selection, especially when you take into consideration NBA stars like Tom Chambers and Byron Scott. Despite their success in the NBA, their college careers do not stand out in any particular way.

The majority of the selections to this point have been based on stats and awards in able to subjectively determine who was the better player with the best career. If we are to continue this trend, four-time All-American (one first team) and tournament Most Outstanding Player from 1947 Arnie Ferrin has to get a lot of consideration.

If you want to go by stats, what Billy McGill accomplished during his 86 games at Utah in the early 1960s with averages of 27 points and 13 rebounds while making two All-American teams (one first-team) is in the conversation. If you are impressed by more contemporary players Yoeli Childs’ 20 points and nine rebounds over the last three years of his four-year tenure at BYU which ended in 2020 might be a more appropriate selection.

However, if you want to know how good the best player is you need to look at Wataru Misaka. Much like Ferrin, stats for his playing days are not readily available, but Misaka is the first player of Asian descent to play DI basketball.

Misaka was so good that despite racial discrimination, Utah wanted him to be a member of their team. In addition, Misaka took two years to serve in the military between the 1944 NCAA Championship and the 1947 NIT Championship. Misaka’s naming as Utah’s best player is not because of the legacy he left, or the ground he broke, it is because it would have been a lot easier for coach Vadal Peterson to not have a payer of Asian descent on his team, but he wanted to win and Misaka was key to making that happen.