Road to The Final Four at Ford Field: Top Guards In The Nation

They are a team's floor general, it's sharp shooter or pure scorer. Guards come big like UAB's 6'5'' Robert Vaden or come small like South Carolina's 5'9'' Devan Downey. It's the size of the player's skills that matters the most and the following players are giants in game of college basketball

1. Junior Stephen Curry, 6'2'', Davidson College, Type of guard (ToG): Pure Scorer

If college basketball fans voted for their favorite college basketball player, Stephen Curry would probably run away with the vote. The best pure scorer in the entire country plays for the Cinderella everyone loves to root for. Curry toyed with opponents in the NCAA Tournament to a tune of 31 points per game in five career tournament games.

It seems like it doesn't matter what opponents do defensively because Curry eventually finds a way to get the ball in the basket. Without stud point guard Jason Richards, Curry will be relied on to distribute the ball as well. If Curry can improve on his 25.9 ppg scoring average, he'll be a contender to be the nation's leading scorer.

2. Senior Darren Collison, 6'0'', UCLA, ToG: Floor General and Sharpshooter 

There aren't too many players that can hit a three as well as Darren Collison. The senior drilled almost 54 percent of his long bombs in 2008. Collison didn't frequent the three-point stripe much, launching just 52 three-points last season, but when he does, he brings UCLA right back into games.

Collison will also be asked to lead an impressive group of freshmen who will be asked to replace departed stars Kevin Love, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Russell Westbrook. Collison will be the glue that keeps a group of experienced upperclassmen and dynamic newcomers together. The only other guard that will have that kind of pressure is Stephen Curry, and he isn't playing at UCLA.

3. Junior Ty Lawson, 5'11'', UNC, ToG: Floor General

The Tar Heel point guard flirted with the NBA, but Ty Lawson is back and ready to lead UNC to a national title after a disappointing end to 2008. Lawson won't be asked to be a big time scorer, but can put the ball in the basket at an efficient rate. He's a tremendous shooter all over the court. He hits his free throws and can knock down a three, but he also gets to the basket and scores inside the arc.

Lawson's agility and speed are what fuels the up-tempo Tar Heel attack that finished near the top of the country in scoring. He's averaged at least five assists per game during his first two years in Chapel Hill and has a tremendous assist to turnover rate of almost 2.5.

4. Senior Tyrese Rice, 6'1'', Boston College, ToG: Pure Scorer

Few players do more in general for their team than Boston College's Tyrese Rice. The senior never hit double digits in assists, yet still returns as the ACC's third leading passer at 5.0 apg. Despite the fact that Rice is the Eagle's point guard, he's one of the best pure scorers in the conference.

Rice is the master of creating his own shot which allows him to average 21 ppg and dish out five assists without a lot of surrounding help. Rice has had some explosive performances to put himself on the map including a 46 point masterpiece in a loss to UNC.

5. Senior Robert Vaden, 6'5'', UAB, ToG: Pure Scorer

There are doubts on whether Robert Vaden will step onto the court after a recent arrest in Bloomington, but if the Blazer finds his way into a gym this season, he can single handily dethrone Memphis as the king of Conference USA.

Ask Kentucky about Exhibit A of what Vaden can do as a scorer. The guard torched the Wildcats with basket after basket from anywhere and everywhere on the court en route to 33 points and a win.

Vaden doesn't do much but score, but he does that incredibly well at 21 ppg and nails 40 percent of his three point attempts.

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