Best NBA Player from every Power 5 School

Best NBA player who played for Texas A&M Aggies — Khris Middleton

• 2X All-Star

Khris Middleton, firmly a No. 2 to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s No. 1 in Milwaukee, still doesn’t get the credit he deserves. At worst, he’s a top-30 player with two All-Star appearances — a number that will surely grow. He’s one of the most efficient perimeter scorers in basketball, which is complemented by a sturdy defensive presence on the wing.

Last season, Middleton averaged 20.9 points in only 29.9 minutes per game. He posted an effective field goal percentage of 57.5 and was unfortunately snubbed in the All-NBA race. The Bucks have yet to make it to the conference finals in the Giannis era, but the blame does not fall on Middleton.

Middleton spent three years at Texas A&M, peaking with 14.3 points per game as a sophomore. He was sidelined by injury for a large chunk of his junior year and decided to forgo a fourth year in favor of the NBA. He was selected 39th by Detroit and spent time in the G-League before eventually breaking out with Milwaukee.

Runner-up: DeAndre Jordan — A central figure of the Clippers’ Lob City era, DeAndre Jordan was an imposing two-way force in his prime. He even made an All-Star appearance, with multiple All-Defense nods on his resume. 

Best NBA player who played for Texas Longhorns — Kevin Durant

• 2X NBA Champion
• 2014 MVP
• 10X All-Star

Kevin Durant is possibly the most unguardable scorer in NBA history. Listed at 6-foot-9 but almost definitely a 7-footer, Durant’s feather-soft touch and high release point make him impossible to contain. He can shoot over anyone, and drive by most players half his size. Durant has four scoring titles under his belt.

Splitting time between OKC and Golden State, Durant has appeared in 10 All-Star games and appeared on nine All-NBA teams. The 2014 MVP trophy is on his shelf. He made it to the Finals with OKC, but didn’t win until his move to Golden State in the summer of 2016. Durant won back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018, winning Finals MVP both times. He ruptured his Achilles in the 2019 Finals, which Golden State lost.

A lauded recruit with NBA aspirations, Durant only spent one year at Texas. He averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds, splashing 40.4 percent of his 3-point attempts and being named national player of the year. Durant famously went No. 2 in the 2007 NBA Draft, behind Greg Oden.

Runner-up: LaMarcus Aldridge — A seven-time All-Star and one of the sturdiest NBA big men over the past decade, Aldridge has found consistent success as a cornerstone in Portland and Tim Duncan’s successor in San Antonio.