Ranking the Nation's Top 20 Point Guards for 2015-16 NCAA Basketball Season
This is going to be a good year for point guards in college basketball.
Before every season, I rank the top 20 players at each position as well as the top 100 players in the sport. As I compare the five lists, there's no doubt that point guard is the deepest and most talented group entering the 2015-16 season.
On top of the talent, the changes to the game are going to make the point guard position even more valuable. There is an emphasis this year on hand-checking, and as we've learned from the NBA, reducing the amount of contact allowed on the perimeter freed up point guards to have a bigger influence on the game. In fact, the point guard spot is arguably the most important position in pro basketball.
Those changes should really help guards who thrive creating off the dribble, and that was definitely considered when I made these rankings.
The formula for who appears here and how they rank is mostly subjective. Opportunity, past success and advanced statistics weigh in, but I go with the eye test above all else.
Just missed the cut: London Perrantes, Virginia; Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova; Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall; Kahlil Felder, Oakland; Angel Rodriguez, Miami
This is the first installment in B/R's positional-ranking series for the 2015-16 season. Here are the other positional rankings: the top 20 shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards and centers. And here is the series finale: the top 100 overall players in college basketball.
20. A.J. English, Iona
1 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 20.1 PPG, 5.1 APG, 5.1 RPG, 1.4 SPG
If you haven't watched Iona in the past, be sure and check out the Gaels this season. For one, they play fast and score a lot of points. But their star, A.J. English, is also good enough to demand your attention.
English is not just the product of a system. He's a future pro. Whether that's in the NBA or overseas is debatable, but the guy should end up making a lot of money playing ball somewhere. He's a 6'4" athletic point guard who can shoot the three. You just don't find many of those at any level.
19. Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Florida State
2 of 20
Class: Sophomore
2014-15 Stats: 14.9 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG
When Xavier Rathan-Mayes gets hot, it's a fun ride. Rathan-Mayes is the guy who put up an insane 30 points over the final four minutes, 38 seconds at Miami last year. He finished with 35 points in that game, and that was the second time he had dropped 35 points—both, coincidentally, were FSU losses.
Help is on the way this season for Rathan-Mayes, as Leonard Hamilton signed a strong freshman class led by Dwayne Bacon.
The Seminoles should also expect a more consistent Rathan-Mayes, who finished the season averaging 19.4 points over FSU's final eight games. The main area Rathan-Mayes should improve is scoring more efficiently. He struggled shooting the ball from deep last year, having hit just 28.1 percent of his 171 three-point attempts. He's a better shooter than that, and with better scorers around him, he shouldn't have to take as many bad shots.
18. D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Georgetown
3 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 16.3 PPG, 3.2 APG, 4.2 RPG, 1.6 SPG
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera is one of those guys who seems like he's been around forever. That's because Smith-Rivera has been productive since the minute he stepped foot on Georgetown's campus.
In Smith-Rivera, the Hoyas have a perfect program player who can score the ball efficiently, run the offense and rarely turns it over. Smith ranked in the top 10 in the Big East last season in scoring, assists, steals, free-throw percentage (86.1), three-point percentage (38.7) and three-pointers made (72).
17. Nic Moore, SMU
4 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 14.5 PPG, 5.1 APG, 2.3 RPG, 1.3 SPG
The season Nic Moore put together in 2014-15 made losing out on a year of Emmanuel Mudiay not as much of a gut punch for SMU as it could have been. Moore was the American Athletic Conference's Player of the Year and led the Mustangs to their first conference title since 1993, along with an NCAA tournament appearance. It's a shame he's not going to be a part of the NCAA tournament this year due to SMU's postseason ban.
At 5'9", Moore is just a tough little guard who gets the most out of his ability and doesn't back down from anyone. He had some of his best games in SMU's most meaningful contests last year. He scored 23 points in a big road win at AAC runner-up Tulsa, and he had 24 points in the NCAA tourney game against UCLA, which SMU lost on a goaltend.
The Mustangs have won 54 games in the two years with Moore as their point guard. In the two years before that, they had just 28 wins.
16. Cat Barber, North Carolina State
5 of 20
Class: Junior
2014-15 Stats: 12.1 PPG, 3.7 APG, 3.3 RPG, 0.8 SPG
The Wolfpack will rely more on Anthony "Cat" Barber this season after seeing leading scorer Trevor Lacey make the head-scratching decision to leave early for the NBA—he went undrafted—and the graduation of Ralston Turner.
Barber is certainly capable. He can dribble circles around defenses and had some of the most impressive performances in the ACC last season, including dropping 34 points in the ACC tournament against Pittsburgh. He'll just need to become more consistent, as he would be a star one night and disappear the next.
15. Tyrone Wallace, California
6 of 20
Class: Senior
2013-14 Stats: 17.1 PPG, 4.0 APG, 7.1 RPG, 1.3 SPG
Tyrone Wallace was one of the best scorers in the Pac-12 and is a tough guy to cover. He has the rare mid-range game, and on top of that, he's a lefty. But for the Bears to contend for a Pac-12 title, which is expected, Wallace needs to become a more efficient scorer this season.
As a junior, Wallace shot just 42.5 percent from the field and 60.6 percent at the free-throw line. With the addition of freshmen Ivan Rabb and Jaylen Brown, he shouldn't have to carry the offense as much as he did a year ago. If Wallace can be more of a facilitator and get his shooting numbers up, the ceiling is high this year for the Bears.
14. Bronson Koenig, Wisconsin
7 of 20
Class: Junior
2014-15 Stats: 8.7 PPG, 2.5 APG, 1.8 RPG, 0.2 SPG
The turnover on the Wisconsin roster will put a lot of pressure on Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig this season. That might just be a welcome change for Koenig.
The junior guard is at his best when he's allowed to make plays off the dribble. There's a little bit of Steph Curry in his game. Koenig is clever with the dribble and a really good shot-maker off the bounce. According to Hoop-Math.com, only two of the 53 buckets Koenig made inside the arc were assisted last season.
The biggest challenge for Koenig will be whether he can make others around him better, as the talent in Madison is nowhere close to what it was the last two years.
13. Gary Payton II, Oregon State
8 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 13.4 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.2 APG, 3.1 SPG, 1.2 BPG
Gary Payton II is more than just a stat-stuffer. Payton helped transform Oregon State's defense from mediocre to borderline elite in his first year in the program, as OSU's defense went from ranking 215th in 2013-14 to 16th last season in adjusted defensive efficiency, per kenpom.com.
Much like his famous father, Payton is known for his defense—he ranked second nationally in steals per game—and he can score as well. The rising senior's jumper needs some work, as he shot just 29.3 percent from distance last year, but he's strong off the bounce and a good finisher around the rim.
The Beavers were the surprise of the Pac-12 last year, going 8-10 in conference play. With Payton back, they could flirt with their first NCAA tourney bid since Payton's dad led the Beavers there in 1990.
12. Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame
9 of 20
Class: Junior
2014-15 Stats: 12.4 PPG, 3.1 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.6 SPG
Mike Brey gives his lead guard a lot of responsibility in his offense, and it's now Demetrius Jackson's turn to take over as the star for the Irish. Jackson certainly has the ability; he was just in the shadow of Jerian Grant last season.
Brey told Bleacher Report last year that playing next to Grant was good for Jackson. Grant had an excellent feel for the game, and that rubbed off on Jackson.
What comes natural to Jackson is getting buckets. He can make shots from all three levels, and his jump-shooting numbers last season were some of the best in the country. Jackson shot 42.9 percent from deep and made 53.2 percent of his two-point jumpers, per Hoop-Math.com. Look for him to become Notre Dame's go-to scorer this season.
11. Isaiah Taylor, Texas
10 of 20
Class: Junior
2014-15 Stats: 13.1 PPG, 4.6 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.0 SPG
Isaiah Taylor is one of the fastest guys with the basketball—if not the fastest—in college hoops.
But as a sophomore, Taylor was pretty one-dimensional as a scorer. He was great at getting into the lane and had a nice floater, but he had little confidence in his jumper. He made just 11 threes all year and shot 28.2 percent from deep.
Taylor shot the ball really well this summer at the Nike Skills Academy, and he said the difference was the new coaching staff has instilled confidence in him. Plus, he had a summer routine of making 600 jumpers a day.
That new confidence and the changes in style Shaka Smart will bring—quickness is gold in Smart's full-court press—should help Taylor become more of a complete guard.
10. Jamal Murray, Kentucky
11 of 20
Class: Freshman
2014-15 Stats (High school): Unavailable
Jamal Murray saw his stock rise this summer more than any other player after what he did playing for Canada's national team in the Pan American Games. Murray showed he can score at any level of basketball by averaging 16 points per game for Canada, including a 22-point game in the semifinals against the United States.
The 6'4" Murray is more of the big scoring guard that head coach John Calipari is used to running the show, but he'll have to coexist with Tyler Ulis, likely moving off the ball when the two are on the floor at the same time. Murray is a gunner—he took 61 shots in five games and had only 12 assists at the Pan-Am Games—and it wouldn't be surprising to see him lead the Cats in scoring. Right away he'll be one of the nation's best shot-makers off the dribble.
9. Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
12 of 20
Class: Sophomore
2014-15 Stats: 5.6 PPG, 3.6 APG, 1.8 RPG, 1.0 SPG
Andrew Harrison probably caught more flack than he deserved last year because it was easy to watch Kentucky and believe the machine ran smoother with Tyler Ulis at point guard.
Ulis is one of the best passers in college basketball, and he did a great job spreading the ball around to all of UK's weapons. He was also a knockdown shooter, making 42.9 percent of his threes, and he wasn't shy about taking big shots in high-pressure situations.
That's probably because Ulis is super competitive. When UK lost to Wisconsin in the Final Four, Ulis said going undefeated up until that point was all for nothing. As a sophomore, he'll be a leader for the Cats and should be a good influence on the freshmen.
The challenge for John Calipari is he has three guards—Ulis, Jamal Murray and Isaiah Briscoe—who all like to play with the ball in their hands. In this offense with scoring threats at every spot, my money is on Ulis running the show and helping Murray and Briscoe learn to thrive off the ball.
8. Monte Morris, Iowa State
13 of 20
Class: Junior
2014-15 Stats: 11.9 PPG, 5.2 APG, 3.4 RPG, 1.9 SPG
There's reason to question whether the Iowa State offense will keep humming without coach Fred Hoiberg. Hoiberg was one of the most innovative offensive minds in college basketball, and the Cyclones ranked in the top 11 in adjusted offensive efficiency, per kenpom.com, each of the last three years.
But Iowa State fans should take comfort in the fact that Monte Morris is still around, and new coach Steve Prohm coached and helped develop two elite point guards at Murray State: Cameron Payne and Isaiah Canaan.
Morris is not as explosive a scorer as those two, but he doesn't have to be. Iowa State still has a solid stable of weapons for Morris to work with, and he deserves some of the credit for helping ISU's offense be so efficient.
Morris set an NCAA record with his 4.79 assist-to-turnover ratio as a freshman and he once again led the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.63) last season. He also does a great job pushing the pace, and he can go get a bucket when his team needs it. As long as he's around, you can bet on the Cyclones getting good shots.
7. Jalen Brunson, Villanova
14 of 20
Class: Freshman
2014-15 Stats (high school): 23.3 PPG, 5.3 APG, 4.7 RPG, 2.6 SPG
Tyus Jones was pretty good as a freshman at Duke, huh? Well, two summers ago, Jalen Brunson and Jones were both point guards for the United States' under-18 team, and anyone who watched those games live (myself included) will tell you Brunson outplayed Jones.
Brunson followed that up this past summer by leading the under-19 team to a gold medal as the team's MVP. He tied for the team lead in scoring (14.0 points per game) and led the U.S. in assists (5.6 per game). Brunson also knocked down 44 percent of his threes.
There's nothing really flashy about Brunson's game. He plays like a veteran point guard and will fit in nicely surrounded by a talented veteran core at Villanova.
6. Yogi Ferrell, Indiana
15 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 16.3 PPG, 4.9 APG, 3.2 RPG, 0.7 SPG
Yogi Ferrell helped transform the Hoosiers into an elite offense again last year. IU became one of the toughest teams to guard in the country by going small and three-ball happy. Ferrell, in the process, showed he can be a dual threat as a scorer and distributor.
Ferrell was still IU's leading scorer, just like his sophomore season, but he shot less as the talent around him got better. What he's shown in both his freshman and junior seasons is that when surrounded by capable scorers, he can orchestrate a high-scoring attack.
The challenge this year will be whether the Hoosiers can improve defensively. Freshman big man Thomas Bryant should help by providing a much-needed presence protecting the paint. If the defense is at least respectable, the Hoosiers have the goods around Ferrell to help the point guard get past the Sweet 16 for the first time in his career.
5. Frank Mason, Kansas
16 of 20
Class: Junior
2014-15 Stats: 12.6 PPG, 3.9 APG, 3.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG
Frank Mason was an afterthought in KU's 2013 recruiting class that included Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid and Wayne Selden, but he could end up being the program's most valuable player from that class.
Mason made huge strides in his sophomore season. Bill Self told Bleacher Report this summer that Mason was/is the team's most valuable player, and he's "become more of a point guard." That last part is important because Mason had never really played the position until last season.
The progression continued this past summer at the World University Games, where Mason thrived with a 24-second clock. The short clock allowed Mason to have more control than usual over the offense, and he was unstoppable off the dribble in late-clock situations.
Mason has also become a much better shooter after adjusting how he held the ball before his sophomore season. The change helped him shoot an impressive 42.9 percent from deep. The junior pretty much can do it all now and has gone from an unknown to one of the most complete guards in the country.
4. Melo Trimble, Maryland
17 of 20
Class: Sophomore
2014-15 Stats: 16.2 PPG, 3.0 APG, 3.9 RPG, 1.3 SPG
Melo Trimble far exceeded what expectations were for him as a freshman and played a big role in leading Maryland to its first NCAA tournament since 2010.
Trimble showed himself worthy of a go-to scoring role right away. He's strong off the bounce—a wicked crossover led to a lot of wobbly ankles—and he has a reliable jumper, knocking down an impressive 41.2 percent of his threes as a freshman.
For Trimble and Maryland to make the leap, Trimble needs to be more of a complete point guard in Year 2. The Terps have what is potentially the best starting five in college basketball with the additions of freshman big man Diamond Stone, Georgia Tech transfer power forward Robert Carter and Duke transfer guard Rasheed Sulaimon.
The Terps weren't exactly short on talent last year, but the offense ranked an unspectacular 58th in adjusted efficiency, per kenpom.com, and relied too much on Trimble and Dez Wells to create their own offense.
If Trimble can improve as a distributor, Maryland should be in the title conversation, and that could help Trimble boost his draft stock. The potential for big payoffs on both ends is certainly there for the sophomore.
3. Marcus Paige, North Carolina
18 of 20
Class: Senior
Stats: 14.1 PPG, 4.5 APG, 2.9 RPG, 1.7 SPG
Marcus Paige wasn't right his junior year, and his numbers dipped. He battled plantar fasciitis in his right foot, a hip injury and sprains in both ankles.
But even with those injuries, Paige was still one of the most productive point guards in the country, and UNC's improved talent also had something to do with his scoring average dropping 3.4 points per game.
Paige is beginning this year with another injury—he fractured the third metacarpal on his right (non-shooting) hand on Nov. 3 and is expected to miss close to a month—but that isn't the type of injury that should linger like foot or ankle issues.
So what can we expect once Paige is healthy? A slightly more efficient version of his sophomore season, which would make Paige one of the most feared scorers in the country.
Paige's efficiency numbers actually came close to mirroring his sophomore season. His offensive rating dropped from 120.1 to 118.8, per kenpom.com, and his three-point percentage actually went up (from 38.9 percent to 39.5). The main thing the injuries did in holding him back was inhibiting him from finishing around the rim as well.
Paige had shot 65.2 percent at the rim as a sophomore, and last year he shot a measly 47.8 percent at the rim, according to hoop-math.com. Paige does most his scoring from the perimeter anyway, but the ability to get in the paint and finish just makes him more of a complete scorer. It should also help him better set up his teammates.
2. Fred VanVleet, Wichita State
19 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 13.6 PPG, 5.2 APG, 4.5 RPG, 1.9 SPG
If you want to argue Fred VanVleet's production is propped up by the caliber of competition Wichita State faces in the Missouri Valley, go back and watch last year's NCAA tournament.
VanVleet out-dueled two guards on this list—Indiana's Yogi Ferrell and KU's Frank Mason—and he also outplayed Notre Dame's Jerian Grant, who was drafted in the first round in June. VanVleet averaged 23.0 points and 4.3 assists in those three games going against some of the best guards in the country.
The guy has game and is arguably the best leader in college basketball. Watch VanVleet on both ends of the court—he's also a terrific defender—and it's like an instructional tape for how to play point guard. Coach Gregg Marshall trusts VanVleet so much that he allows him to audible play calls.
"He's not like an assistant coach on the floor; he's a head coach on the floor," Marshall told Bleacher Report last March. "That's a little different. I trust him to run whatever he thinks is best."
With the addition of two transfers—KU's Conner Frankamp (eligible at semester) and Cleveland State's Anton Grady—VanVleet has more weapons as his disposal this season, and Wichita State is a legit top-10 team. VanVleet has already had a great career, reaching a Final Four as a freshman, winning 95 games in three years and setting the school's assist record. If he can get Wichita State back to a Final Four, you can edit "Shocker legend" to "college basketball legend."
1. Kris Dunn, Providence
20 of 20
Class: Junior
2014-15 Stats: 15.6 PPG, 7.5 APG, 5.5 RPG, 2.7 SPG
Every NBA scout I talked to this summer about Kris Dunn believed he would have gone in the first round of the draft had he declared. It's rare to see someone with his talent make it to his junior year—Dunn will actually be a fourth-year junior—but there were areas of his game he wanted to improve.
"As you see in the last couple years, there's been a lot of guys go in the first round who turn out to be nothing and just went to the D-League," Dunn told Bleacher Report this summer. "I felt like I needed to improve more on my game so I'm not just an NBA talent; I can be NBA ready."
Dunn's main focus this offseason was improving his three-point jumper, and he has a goal of making 77 threes this season—he attempted only 77 last year, making 27. The Friars could certainly use the scoring after graduating leading scorer LaDontae Henton and then seeing third-leading scorer Tyler Harris transfer to Auburn.
The good news is that Dunn is exceptional at making everyone else around him better and controlling both sides of the ball. He led the nation in assist rate last season and finished fifth in steals rate, per kenpom.com. He's the only player in the 14 years Ken Pomeroy has tracked such data to finish in the top 10 of both statistics. There's not a more complete player in college basketball.
C.J. Moore covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @CJMooreBR.
All stats from the 2015 Pan-American Games and U-19 World Championships via USA Basketball. Unless otherwise noted, all high school statistics via each player's official university website.
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