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Best Point Guards in College Hoops

By: Nathan McCauley

I remember my high school coach telling me that the point guard is the most important position in basketball. “Teams win when the point guard plays smart”, he would say. “But they lose if he plays stupid”.

I always thought there was some truth to that. The point guard is a basketball team’s quarterback. He touches the ball on virtually every offensive possession, calls the plays and basically runs the show. If he makes a mistake it could costs his team a possession. If he makes a good decision on the other hand, his teammates benefit from it.

It’s hard for a team to win with a bad point guard, but those with a good floor general often exceed expectations. Take last season’s Final Four for example. UNC, Michigan State, UCONN, and Villanova all had very good players at this position. The Tar Heels had arguably the best in the country in Ty Lawson and they won it all. A good point guard can make the difference.

So who is the best in the country this season? It comes down to two guys for us; a seasoned vet and a hotshot newcomer.

Sherron Collins is going for his second national championship at Kansas. The 5’11 senior played a key role on the Jayhawks’ 2007 title team and will have a great shot of becoming the first player in school history to pull it off twice. As a junior last season, Collins averaged close to 19 points and 5 assists per game while earning a spot on the AP All-American 3rd team. This year, he’ll be a frontrunner for National POY honors.

While Collins is going for his second national title, Kentucky freshman John Wall has yet to play in his first college game. But as Derrick Rose and Mike Conley showed recently, young point guards can be capable of big things. Wall is no exception.

We rate the 6’4 playmaker as the top point guard prospect we’ve ever scouted. That makes him the best since 1999, when Dywane Wade was still a highschooler. He could start for most NBA teams… right now. Luckily for Kentucky fans, he’ll have to wait a year to do that.

Collins and Wall are just two of the many outstanding point guards you’ll see in college basketball this season. Here are some other guys to watch for.

Top 20 Point Guards in College Hoops, Presented by HoopsReport.com

1. John Wall 6’4 Fr. Kentucky N/A
Ready for the pros, but will have to settle with dominating the college ranks for now

2. Sherron Collins 5’11 Sr. Kansas 18.9PPG 5.0APG
Veteran playmaker is going for his second national title

3. Kalin Lucas 6’0 Jr. Michigan State 14.7PPG 4.6APG
Returning Big 10 POY tries to lead the Spartans back to the title game

4. Kemba Walker 6’1 So. UCONN 8.9PPG 3.5RPG 2.9APG
One of the best young PG’s in America; Calhoun compares him to Chris Paul

5. Jerome Randle 5’10 Sr. Cal 18.4PPG 4.9APG
Compact floor general is the best in the west

6. Devan Downey 5’9 Sr. South Carolina 19.8PPG 4.5APG 2.9SPG
Fast playmaker and excellent defender is the SEC’s leading returning scorer

7. Chris Warren 5’11 Jr. Mississippi 19.6PPG 4APG
Was quickly becoming a star before his injury

8. Greivis Vasquez 6’6 Sr. Maryland 17.5PPG 5.4RPG 5APG
Venezuela native has been a top guard in the ACC for years

9. Abdul Gaddy 6’3 Fr. Washington N/A
The best frosh PG not named John Wall joins a talented roster at Washington

10. Jon Scheyer 6’5 Sr. Duke 14.9PPG 2.8APG
Just doesn’t feel right listing him with PG’s, but truth is: he’s a very good lead man

11. Talor Battle 5’11 Jr. Penn State 16.7PPG 5.3RPG 5APG
All-Big Ten first teamer shined for Team USA at World University Games

12. Nic Wise 5’10 Sr. Arizona 15.7PPG 4.6APG
Senior leader will shoulder much of the load in Tucson this season

13. Malcolm Delaney 6’3 Jr. Virginia Tech 18.1PPG 4.5APG 4RPG
Blossomed into one of the best guards in the ACC last season

14. Chris Wright 6’1 Jr. Georgetown 12.5PPG 3.8APG
The most underrated point guard in the Big East

15. Corey Fisher 6’1 Jr. Villanova 10.8PPG 2.8APG
One of many outstanding guards at Nova

16. Iman Shumpert 6’5 So. Georgia Tech 10.6PPG 5APG 3.9RPG
Smooth sophomore guard is the leading returning assist man in the ACC

17. John Roberson 5’11 Jr. Texas Tech 13.9PPG 6.4APG
The best point guard you’ve never heard of

18. Deonta Vaughn 6’1 Sr. Cincinnati 15.1PPG 4.7APG 4RPG
Former All-Big East first teamer won’t have to do it all this season

19. Jai Lucas 5’9 Jr. Texas 8.5PPG 2.3APG (freshman stats)
Smart playmaker could be the final piece to the puzzle at Texas

20. Shelvin Mack 6'3 So. Butler 11.3PPG 3.9APG 4.4RPG N/A
Solid guard leads an outstanding Butler team

Pictured: Sherron Collins. Photo by David Klutho/SI

This is the first entry in a 12 piece feature by HoopsReport.com previewing the upcoming college basketball season. Next we will take a look at the top shooting guards in America as we move toward the release of our preseason top 25. Please send all questions and comments regarding this segment to Nathan@HoopsReport.com.

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POSTED: 10-13-2009

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