Best NBA Player from every Power 5 School

Best NBA player who played for Oklahoma Sooners — Blake Griffin

• 6X All-Star
• 5X All-NBA
• 2011 Rookie of the Year

The cornerstone of the Lob City era in LA, Blake Griffin helped bring the Clippers into the national spotlight. It never yielded a championship, and locker room strife ended the era too soon, but Griffin proved his mettle as a No. 1 overall pick. Griffin has made the All-Star Game in six of his 10 seasons to date.

In his prime, Griffin was the most electric athlete in basketball, jumping over cars and finding himself on the receiving end of countless Chris Paul lobs. Initially billed as a raw athlete, Griffin quickly developed into one of the better all-around frontcourt players in basketball. He quickly became a gifted passer and a high-volume 3-point shooter. Unfortunately, due to injuries, we could be approaching the beginning of Griffin’s end.

In two seasons at Oklahoma, Griffin averaged 18.8 points and 11.8 rebounds. As a sophomore, Griffin led college basketball in rebounds and tallied 30 double-doubles, one shy of David Robinson’s single-season NCAA record. He was named national player of the year and selected first overall in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Runner-up: Trae Young — A historic college guard turned scintillating pro, Young is part of the NBA’s exceedingly bright future — and a definite product of the Warriors-led 3-point revolution. 

Best NBA player who played for Oklahoma State Cowboys — John Starks

• 1X All-Star
• 1997 Sixth Man of the Year
• All-Defensive Second Team

The story of John Starks’ NBA trajectory is a remarkable one. He played sparingly as an undrafted rookie in 1988-89, stuck behind Golden State’s deep backcourt. He then went overseas in 1990, only to return and try out for the Knicks in 1991. In one practice, he attempted to dunk over Patrick Ewing, who retaliated and pushed Starks to the ground. Sparks sprained his knee, and the Knicks weren’t allowed to release him unless it healed by December. It didn’t.

Long story short, Starks went on to become New York’s starting two-guard — and a fan-favorite for one of the most entertaining, physical teams in Knicks history. He spent eight years with New York, averaging 19.0 points per game and making his only All-Star appearance in 1994. Starks was known not only for his grit, but his explosive athleticism as well. He won Sixth Man of the Year in 1997.

Before he scrapped (and lucked) his way to a spot in New York, Starks bounced around at the collegiate level. Legal troubles impacted him early on, but as a senior, he finally landed a scholarship at Oklahoma State. He parlayed that into a professional career, making for one of the most interesting stories on this list.

Runner-up: Tony Allen — Allen won a championship with the Celtics in ’08, but his main contributions came as a bastion of culture and attitude in Memphis, where his relentless defense defined the Grit n’ Grind era.