jerseyshorejohnny
Well-known member
Top 20 lead guards: Depth dominates with elite scorers across the country
By CJ Moore
Putting together these lists are painful. I spent two days basically looking at the document and moving guys around and then second-guessing the omissions.
The biggest mistake is typically overinflating freshmen. Sure, such players in the one-and-done era have had some big-time seasons, but the best players in the country are typically upperclassmen, particularly at the lead guard spot.
Since the one-and-done era began, here is the breakdown for point guards on the Associated Press All-America teams: freshmen, 9; sophomores, 8; juniors: 14; and seniors: 28.
Those numbers suggest I should probably include three freshmen here. I have two, and honestly, had we stretched these positional lists out to 25, there’s a good chance Kansas’ Devon Dotson, Kentucky’s Ashton Hagans and Duke’s Tre Jones would have appeared. (It’s also worth noting that this list is not based on pro potential but rather impact on the college game.)
My main takeaway from this exercise: While the lead guard position is not as strong at the top as it has been in most years, it’s not lacking in depth. The top two choices were pretty easy, but there wasn’t a lot of separation when I started listing guys from 3 through 30. That, of course, made it difficult to cut it off at 20.
Other guys I cringed on about leaving out: Gonzaga’s Josh Perkins, Oregon’s Payton Pritchard, Murray State’s Ja Morant, Arizona State’s Remy Martin, Michigan’s Zavier Simpson, Auburn’s Jared Harper, Villanova’s Jahvon Quinerly, Baylor’s Makai Mason and Central Florida’s B.J. Taylor. My apologies to you and your fan bases.
20. D’Marcus Simonds, 6-foot-3 junior, Georgia State
Guards have typically shined in Ron Hunter’s system. He has put George Hill and his son, R.J., in the NBA, and he might have another potential pro in Simonds. The point guard was one of the highest-usage players in the country as a sophomore last year, averaging 21.2 points on 17.2 shots per game. The next step is trying to bump up his efficiency. He’ll make the Panthers a scary draw come March
.
19. Jon Elmore, 6-foot-3 senior, Marshall
Dan D’Antoni took his fun-and-gun show to the NCAA Tournament last season and engineered an upset of Wichita State. Much of the country was introduced to Elmore, who dropped 27 points on the Shockers. Elmore has the greenest of lights — he fired up 271 3s last year — and he’s a great talent for D’Antoni’s fast-pace attack. He’s sure to put up huge numbers again this year after averaging 22.7 points, 6.8 assists and 5.8 rebounds as a junior.
18. Kamar Baldwin, 6-foot-1 junior, Butler
Now that Kelan Martin has graduated, it’s time for Baldwin to become the next Butler star. He broke out last season in his first year at point guard, filling up the stat sheet with 15.7 points, 3.2 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. He’s one of those slithery lefties who is always awkward to guard.
17. Marcquise Reed, 6-foot-3 senior, Clemson
Reed, who started his career at Robert Morris, was one of the more underrated players in the country on one of the more underrated teams last season. The hardest thing to cover is a jump shooter who can get his off the dribble. Reed shot an adjusted 49.7 percent on jumps off the bounce last season, per Synergy.
16. Clayton Custer, 6-foot-1 senior, Loyola of Chicago
Custer started his career at Iowa State but couldn’t get off the bench. Now everyone in the country knows who he is after leading his team to the Final Four. Custer does not have blow-by speed, but he’s clever off the bounce and you can’t give him space or he’ll burn you with his jumper. The Missouri Valley’s Player of the Year last season shot 45.1 percent from deep, and he’s one of the best shooters in the country at his position.
15. Jalen Adams, 6-foot-3 senior, Connecticut
American Athletic Conference coaches will tell you Adams is the most talented player in the league. He’s played on mediocre teams the last two seasons, but the Huskies could return to relevancy this year with Dan Hurley in charge. One issue under Kevin Ollie was running bad offense and taking tough shots. Adams is a highlight machine — and made some of those tough shots — but Hurley’s coaching should help him become a more efficient player.
14. Ty Jerome, 6-foot-5 junior, Virginia
Everyone knows how the Cavaliers’ season finished, but Jerome deserves a lot of credit for leading his team to 31 wins. He is the perfect point guard for Tony Bennett’s system. He makes few mistakes, shoots it well, is poised at making plays late in the shot clock and he has the length and size to defend multiple positions. Most Cavs do not put up glitzy numbers, and that’s why they often go underappreciated.
13. Coby White, 6-foot-5 freshman, North Carolina
I watched the final two games of the FIBA Under-18 Americas tournament a few weeks ago for this story on KU’s Quentin Grimes, and the guy who jumped off the film was White. For one, I love how hard he plays. His speed and size are going to make him a tough cover. He’s a great finisher, and he shoots it from the perimeter well, pouring in buckets in a hurry when he gets hot. He led the loaded U.S. team in scoring (15.3 points in just 22.2 minutes per game) and shot a solid 41 percent from deep. He might be the most talented point guard Roy Williams has had at UNC.
12. Anthony Cowan, 6-foot- junior, Maryland
Cowan was so good last season that Mark Turgeon rarely took him off the floor. Cowan played 96.7 percent of available minutes in conference play — tops in the Big Ten — and his durability is impressive considering how he throws his body around. He ranked fourth nationally among major-conference point guards in free-throw rate (56.8) and he capitalized when he got there, making 84.8 percent of his freebies. The Terps lost some talent — Kevin Huerter and Justin Jackson both left for the NBA — but unleashing Cowan to carry even more of the offense could help Turgeon get back to the NCAA Tournament in what’s an important year for Turgeon.
11. Darius Garland, 6-foot-2 freshman, Vanderbilt
I reached out to our Sam Vecenie, plus a recruiting guy and an NBA scout for some help with the freshmen because I haven’t seen most of them play. Garland was the guy all three liked, and my recruiting buddy said Garland has the best chance to be Trae Young. Makes sense. He’s at Vandy, so he’ll most likely get the opportunity to dominate the ball and put up big numbers. Hopefully, my guys make me look smart here.
10. Lindell Wigginton, 6-foot-2 sophomore, Iowa State
Wigginton is one of only 30 players to average more than 16 points per game as a freshman — he averaged 16.7 — and shoot above 40 percent from 3-point range with a minimum of 100 attempts. Some others on that list: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden, C.J. McCollum, D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray and Markelle Fultz. The Canadian guard has a chance to be special for the Cyclones, and he’s surrounded by a better supporting cast this season.
9. Cassius Winston, 6-foot-1 junior, Michigan State
As Brendan Quinn recently wrote, this is Winston’s first shot in college to be the star. I got a sneak peek a few years ago at Peach Jam when Winston dominated the ball for The Family on the Nike circuit. Winston was one of the best high school passers I’ve seen. That has translated, as he ranked second in assist rate last season. He’s also proven himself as a shooter, making a ridiculous 49.7 percent of his 3s last year and shooting 56.2 percent on catch-and-shoot jumpers, per Synergy. That number may go down as he’ll receive more defensive attention, but his production should go way up
.
8. Ky Bowman, 6-foot-1 junior, Boston College
Bowman dropped 30 points in a win against Duke last year, and that put him and Jerome Robinson on the national radar. Robinson left for the NBA and was a lottery pick. With Robinson, Bowman averaged 17.6 points, 4.7 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Without him, his usage should go up and he has a chance to put up big numbers.
7. Justin Robinson, 6-foot-2 senior, Virginia Tech
This lefty can fly, and he’s one of the better-shooting point guards. The Hokies have progressively gotten better under Buzz Williams, and this could be the year they become one of the better ACC teams and go on a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Robinson, their top scorer, will lead the way.
6. Tremont Waters, 5-foot-11 sophomore, LSU
Waters is a big-time shot maker who was super clutch as a freshman, burying multiple game-winners. He averaged 15.9 points, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals, and the expected sophomore bump could get him in All-America discussion. He’s also going to be surrounded by better talent, as coach Will Wade signed a monster recruiting class.
5. McKinley Wright, 6-foot sophomore, Colorado
This might seem a little high for Wright — maybe I just caught him on the right nights last season — but I came away impressed every time I watched the Buffs. Wright, who was headed to Dayton before Archie Miller took the Indiana job, influences the game in every way. He averaged 14.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 rebounds per game as a freshman. I’m expecting a monster season.
4. Barry Brown, 6-foot-3 senior, Kansas State
When K-State was in a funk last season, Brown organized a practice on an off day. The Wildcats took off from there, making an Elite Eight run without the services of All-Big 12 forward Dean Wade. Brown is one of the best defensive guards in the country, and he’s always in attack mode on the offensive end. His energy is contagious, and that’s why the Wildcats are so scrappy. Just ask Kentucky.
3. Shamorie Ponds, 6-foot-1 junior, St. John’s
Ponds arguably had the best three-game stretch in all of college basketball last season when he went for 33 points against Duke, 26 at Villanova and 44 against Marquette — all wins. That showed what Ponds and the Red Storm are capable of, and you would think it’s time the program lived up to the potential it showed for stretches last year, especially now that Ponds is joined in the backcourt by Auburn transfer Mustapha Heron. If Ponds can start making 3s — he shot 25.3 percent last year and still averaged 21.6 points per game — look out. He was an 85.7 percent free throw shooter last season and made 37.5 percent of his 3s as a freshman, so he’s probably a better shooter than he showed as a sophomore.
2. Markus Howard, 5-foot-11 junior, Marquette
Howard is one of the best shooters to come through college basketball. If that sounds like hyperbole, simply check the record book. He’s the only freshman to make at least 80 3s (he made 82) and shoot better than 50 percent from deep in a season. Only 13 players have done that, period. As a sophomore last season, he made 111 3s at a 40.3 percent clip. The list of sophomores to make at least 110 3s and shoot better than 40 percent is 13, a group that includes Stephen Curry and Jay Williams. (Both were first-team All-Americans the next season.) And then, finally, only 17 times has a player made 11 3s in a game. Howard is the only player to do it twice.
1. Carsen Edwards, 6-foot-1 junior, Purdue
I’m just going to put this right here, with apologies to Josh Newkirk. Notice Edwards dunked that with his left hand. He’s right-handed. And he does this often. Edwards is one of the best off-hand dunkers I’ve ever seen, and he’s only 6-1. That makes him really fun to watch. So does the fact that the dude is awesome off the bounce. He kills using ball screens — of the players who finished at least 100 pick-and-roll actions last year, he was the second-most efficient, at 1.14 points per possession, per Synergy. Purdue graduated a lot of offense, so this is going to be the Edwards show. Warning to those who wait in the lane: He’ll put it on your head — lefty.
By CJ Moore
Putting together these lists are painful. I spent two days basically looking at the document and moving guys around and then second-guessing the omissions.
The biggest mistake is typically overinflating freshmen. Sure, such players in the one-and-done era have had some big-time seasons, but the best players in the country are typically upperclassmen, particularly at the lead guard spot.
Since the one-and-done era began, here is the breakdown for point guards on the Associated Press All-America teams: freshmen, 9; sophomores, 8; juniors: 14; and seniors: 28.
Those numbers suggest I should probably include three freshmen here. I have two, and honestly, had we stretched these positional lists out to 25, there’s a good chance Kansas’ Devon Dotson, Kentucky’s Ashton Hagans and Duke’s Tre Jones would have appeared. (It’s also worth noting that this list is not based on pro potential but rather impact on the college game.)
My main takeaway from this exercise: While the lead guard position is not as strong at the top as it has been in most years, it’s not lacking in depth. The top two choices were pretty easy, but there wasn’t a lot of separation when I started listing guys from 3 through 30. That, of course, made it difficult to cut it off at 20.
Other guys I cringed on about leaving out: Gonzaga’s Josh Perkins, Oregon’s Payton Pritchard, Murray State’s Ja Morant, Arizona State’s Remy Martin, Michigan’s Zavier Simpson, Auburn’s Jared Harper, Villanova’s Jahvon Quinerly, Baylor’s Makai Mason and Central Florida’s B.J. Taylor. My apologies to you and your fan bases.
20. D’Marcus Simonds, 6-foot-3 junior, Georgia State
Guards have typically shined in Ron Hunter’s system. He has put George Hill and his son, R.J., in the NBA, and he might have another potential pro in Simonds. The point guard was one of the highest-usage players in the country as a sophomore last year, averaging 21.2 points on 17.2 shots per game. The next step is trying to bump up his efficiency. He’ll make the Panthers a scary draw come March
.
19. Jon Elmore, 6-foot-3 senior, Marshall
Dan D’Antoni took his fun-and-gun show to the NCAA Tournament last season and engineered an upset of Wichita State. Much of the country was introduced to Elmore, who dropped 27 points on the Shockers. Elmore has the greenest of lights — he fired up 271 3s last year — and he’s a great talent for D’Antoni’s fast-pace attack. He’s sure to put up huge numbers again this year after averaging 22.7 points, 6.8 assists and 5.8 rebounds as a junior.
18. Kamar Baldwin, 6-foot-1 junior, Butler
Now that Kelan Martin has graduated, it’s time for Baldwin to become the next Butler star. He broke out last season in his first year at point guard, filling up the stat sheet with 15.7 points, 3.2 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. He’s one of those slithery lefties who is always awkward to guard.
17. Marcquise Reed, 6-foot-3 senior, Clemson
Reed, who started his career at Robert Morris, was one of the more underrated players in the country on one of the more underrated teams last season. The hardest thing to cover is a jump shooter who can get his off the dribble. Reed shot an adjusted 49.7 percent on jumps off the bounce last season, per Synergy.
16. Clayton Custer, 6-foot-1 senior, Loyola of Chicago
Custer started his career at Iowa State but couldn’t get off the bench. Now everyone in the country knows who he is after leading his team to the Final Four. Custer does not have blow-by speed, but he’s clever off the bounce and you can’t give him space or he’ll burn you with his jumper. The Missouri Valley’s Player of the Year last season shot 45.1 percent from deep, and he’s one of the best shooters in the country at his position.
15. Jalen Adams, 6-foot-3 senior, Connecticut
American Athletic Conference coaches will tell you Adams is the most talented player in the league. He’s played on mediocre teams the last two seasons, but the Huskies could return to relevancy this year with Dan Hurley in charge. One issue under Kevin Ollie was running bad offense and taking tough shots. Adams is a highlight machine — and made some of those tough shots — but Hurley’s coaching should help him become a more efficient player.
14. Ty Jerome, 6-foot-5 junior, Virginia
Everyone knows how the Cavaliers’ season finished, but Jerome deserves a lot of credit for leading his team to 31 wins. He is the perfect point guard for Tony Bennett’s system. He makes few mistakes, shoots it well, is poised at making plays late in the shot clock and he has the length and size to defend multiple positions. Most Cavs do not put up glitzy numbers, and that’s why they often go underappreciated.
13. Coby White, 6-foot-5 freshman, North Carolina
I watched the final two games of the FIBA Under-18 Americas tournament a few weeks ago for this story on KU’s Quentin Grimes, and the guy who jumped off the film was White. For one, I love how hard he plays. His speed and size are going to make him a tough cover. He’s a great finisher, and he shoots it from the perimeter well, pouring in buckets in a hurry when he gets hot. He led the loaded U.S. team in scoring (15.3 points in just 22.2 minutes per game) and shot a solid 41 percent from deep. He might be the most talented point guard Roy Williams has had at UNC.
12. Anthony Cowan, 6-foot- junior, Maryland
Cowan was so good last season that Mark Turgeon rarely took him off the floor. Cowan played 96.7 percent of available minutes in conference play — tops in the Big Ten — and his durability is impressive considering how he throws his body around. He ranked fourth nationally among major-conference point guards in free-throw rate (56.8) and he capitalized when he got there, making 84.8 percent of his freebies. The Terps lost some talent — Kevin Huerter and Justin Jackson both left for the NBA — but unleashing Cowan to carry even more of the offense could help Turgeon get back to the NCAA Tournament in what’s an important year for Turgeon.
11. Darius Garland, 6-foot-2 freshman, Vanderbilt
I reached out to our Sam Vecenie, plus a recruiting guy and an NBA scout for some help with the freshmen because I haven’t seen most of them play. Garland was the guy all three liked, and my recruiting buddy said Garland has the best chance to be Trae Young. Makes sense. He’s at Vandy, so he’ll most likely get the opportunity to dominate the ball and put up big numbers. Hopefully, my guys make me look smart here.
10. Lindell Wigginton, 6-foot-2 sophomore, Iowa State
Wigginton is one of only 30 players to average more than 16 points per game as a freshman — he averaged 16.7 — and shoot above 40 percent from 3-point range with a minimum of 100 attempts. Some others on that list: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden, C.J. McCollum, D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray and Markelle Fultz. The Canadian guard has a chance to be special for the Cyclones, and he’s surrounded by a better supporting cast this season.
9. Cassius Winston, 6-foot-1 junior, Michigan State
As Brendan Quinn recently wrote, this is Winston’s first shot in college to be the star. I got a sneak peek a few years ago at Peach Jam when Winston dominated the ball for The Family on the Nike circuit. Winston was one of the best high school passers I’ve seen. That has translated, as he ranked second in assist rate last season. He’s also proven himself as a shooter, making a ridiculous 49.7 percent of his 3s last year and shooting 56.2 percent on catch-and-shoot jumpers, per Synergy. That number may go down as he’ll receive more defensive attention, but his production should go way up
.
8. Ky Bowman, 6-foot-1 junior, Boston College
Bowman dropped 30 points in a win against Duke last year, and that put him and Jerome Robinson on the national radar. Robinson left for the NBA and was a lottery pick. With Robinson, Bowman averaged 17.6 points, 4.7 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Without him, his usage should go up and he has a chance to put up big numbers.
7. Justin Robinson, 6-foot-2 senior, Virginia Tech
This lefty can fly, and he’s one of the better-shooting point guards. The Hokies have progressively gotten better under Buzz Williams, and this could be the year they become one of the better ACC teams and go on a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Robinson, their top scorer, will lead the way.
6. Tremont Waters, 5-foot-11 sophomore, LSU
Waters is a big-time shot maker who was super clutch as a freshman, burying multiple game-winners. He averaged 15.9 points, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals, and the expected sophomore bump could get him in All-America discussion. He’s also going to be surrounded by better talent, as coach Will Wade signed a monster recruiting class.
5. McKinley Wright, 6-foot sophomore, Colorado
This might seem a little high for Wright — maybe I just caught him on the right nights last season — but I came away impressed every time I watched the Buffs. Wright, who was headed to Dayton before Archie Miller took the Indiana job, influences the game in every way. He averaged 14.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 rebounds per game as a freshman. I’m expecting a monster season.
4. Barry Brown, 6-foot-3 senior, Kansas State
When K-State was in a funk last season, Brown organized a practice on an off day. The Wildcats took off from there, making an Elite Eight run without the services of All-Big 12 forward Dean Wade. Brown is one of the best defensive guards in the country, and he’s always in attack mode on the offensive end. His energy is contagious, and that’s why the Wildcats are so scrappy. Just ask Kentucky.
3. Shamorie Ponds, 6-foot-1 junior, St. John’s
Ponds arguably had the best three-game stretch in all of college basketball last season when he went for 33 points against Duke, 26 at Villanova and 44 against Marquette — all wins. That showed what Ponds and the Red Storm are capable of, and you would think it’s time the program lived up to the potential it showed for stretches last year, especially now that Ponds is joined in the backcourt by Auburn transfer Mustapha Heron. If Ponds can start making 3s — he shot 25.3 percent last year and still averaged 21.6 points per game — look out. He was an 85.7 percent free throw shooter last season and made 37.5 percent of his 3s as a freshman, so he’s probably a better shooter than he showed as a sophomore.
2. Markus Howard, 5-foot-11 junior, Marquette
Howard is one of the best shooters to come through college basketball. If that sounds like hyperbole, simply check the record book. He’s the only freshman to make at least 80 3s (he made 82) and shoot better than 50 percent from deep in a season. Only 13 players have done that, period. As a sophomore last season, he made 111 3s at a 40.3 percent clip. The list of sophomores to make at least 110 3s and shoot better than 40 percent is 13, a group that includes Stephen Curry and Jay Williams. (Both were first-team All-Americans the next season.) And then, finally, only 17 times has a player made 11 3s in a game. Howard is the only player to do it twice.
1. Carsen Edwards, 6-foot-1 junior, Purdue
I’m just going to put this right here, with apologies to Josh Newkirk. Notice Edwards dunked that with his left hand. He’s right-handed. And he does this often. Edwards is one of the best off-hand dunkers I’ve ever seen, and he’s only 6-1. That makes him really fun to watch. So does the fact that the dude is awesome off the bounce. He kills using ball screens — of the players who finished at least 100 pick-and-roll actions last year, he was the second-most efficient, at 1.14 points per possession, per Synergy. Purdue graduated a lot of offense, so this is going to be the Edwards show. Warning to those who wait in the lane: He’ll put it on your head — lefty.