NCAA rewind: America's unlikely hero, Demontrae Jefferson

RANKINGS: 2018 Rivals150 | 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2018 Team

Texas Southern point guard Demontrae Jefferson's turn as NCAA Tournament hero has been a long time coming.

The former four-star prospect from the class of 2015 didn't have the easiest of roads to his Tournament moment, but it all came to fruition on Wednesday night as the 5-foot-7 dynamo from Milwaukee (Wisc.) scored 25 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out three assists to lead Texas Southern to a 64-46 First Four win over NC Central.

Rivals.com first saw Jefferson play as a 5-foot-5 freshman in May of 2012 at an event in Kansas City. Teamed with future five-star -- and current Golden State Warrior -- big man Kevon Looney, Jefferson stole the show with his toughness, flashy play and willingness to let the ball fly from anywhere on the court. What also stood out was that his teammates all looked like the would run through a wall for him.

Jefferson never got much of a chance to play high school ball in his hometown because of eligibility issues, but he became a huge star in the summer and among the Youtube and mixtape crowd.

Questions about his eligibility scared many programs away and after a detour through South Carolina for prep school, Jefferson landed at Texas Southern. He was the SWAC Rookie of the Year as a freshman and this season he was the SWAC Tournament MVP. Before he was a college star, the Rivals.com cameras were running.

Here's a look back at Jefferson during his high school days.