Ranking the Best 'Pass-First' Point Guards in College Basketball in 2014-15
With pressure increasing to become super-scorers like Chris Paul or Derrick Rose, college basketball point guards can too easily get overlooked if they donโt put tons of points on the board. The best floor generals, though, can control the game even if their own shots arenโt falling, and thereโs an impressive supply of high-level distributors in this seasonโs college ranks.
One of the best, for at least one more year, will be Wichita State stalwart Fred VanVleet. The stars of the Shockers offense keep changing, but the cerebral VanVleet is the constant that keeps his team playing at a top-25 level on both ends of the floor.
Read on for more on WSU's junior standout and the rest of the top playmakers to watch next season. The rankings are based primarily on passing productivity, efficiency and leadership of a winning team, but other factors do play a role.
Note that if a returning player finished second or better on his team in scoring, he was automatically excluded from consideration here.
Derrick Walton Jr., Michigan
1 of 20
Why Heโs Here: He had a rough freshman year, but Derrick Walton Jr. has the experience and (more importantly) the wealth of shooters around him to shine as a sophomore.
Key Stats: 2.9 assists per game, 1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio, .410 three-point shooting
X-Factor: Although Caris LeVert is the better driver, Waltonโs superior passing touch will make a difference in feeding snipers such as Zak Irvin and Kameron Chatman.
Troy Caupain, Cincinnati
2 of 20
Why Heโs Here: Even as a reserve on a weak offensive team, then-freshman Troy Caupain showed his potential to create baskets off the dribble.
Key Stats: 2.2 assists in 19.1 minutes per game, 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: At 6โ3โ and 200 pounds, he brings a physicality that very few AAC guards can handle.
Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova
3 of 20
Why Heโs Here: His tendency to fling up ill-advised three-pointers has been dialed back, and Ryan Arcidiacono is now a (gasp) reliable presence at the helm for the prohibitive Big East favorites.
Key Stats: 3.5 assists per game, 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: A late-game specialist as a freshman, Arcidiacono didn't lose his touch, helping last yearโs Wildcats finish a stellar 4-0 in overtime contests.
Shannon Scott, Ohio State
4 of 20
Why Heโs Here: Shannon Scott, Aaron Craftโs longtime understudy, has learned that itโs possible to be too unselfish (as his mentor often was). That's a lesson that will help next yearโs Buckeyes.
Key Stats: 3.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game, 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: More offensive-minded than Craft, Scott should help Ohio State get a few more fast-break points (and a few more highlight-reel dunks from the likes of Sam Thompson).
L.J. Rose, Houston
5 of 20
Why Heโs Here: Once the future of Baylorโs backcourt, L.J. Rose has reinvented himself as a pure distributor for high-scoring Houston.
Key Stats: 5.5 assists per game, 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio, .413 three-point shooting
X-Factor: Like many of the lower-ranked guards on this list, heโs likely to be forced into putting up more shots than heโd like, in this case because most of Houstonโs scorers transferred out when head coach James Dickey left.
Anthony Barber, North Carolina State
6 of 20
Why Heโs Here: Any point guard looks like a pass-first type when heโs feeding T.J. Warren, so 2014-15 is the year we really find out how defensive stopper Anthony โCatโ Barber wants to play on offense.
Key Stats: 3.5 assists per game, 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: Freed from battling Tyler Lewis (now at Butler) for minutes, Barber should be able to run the attack with more confidence.
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
7 of 20
Why Heโs Here: Whatever you want to call the position 6โ5โ Denzel Valentine plays, heโs Michigan Stateโs best passer and the teamโs best hope for a coherent half-court offense in 2014-15.
Key Stats: 3.8 assists per game, 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: If Travis Triceโs three-point shot (.434 last year) stays on track, look for Tom Izzo to flip-flop his backcourt, with the bigger Valentine running the point on offense but guarding opposing shooting guards.
Reece Chamberlain, Belmont
8 of 20
Why Heโs Here: Belmont comes from the mold of Cinderella teams that pull March upsets with precision offenseโsee North Dakota State last seasonโand senior Reece Chamberlain has this yearโs Bruins looking like bracket-busters again.
Key Stats: 5.5 assists per game, 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: Keep an eye on Belmontโs performance in nonconference play, because a strong showing could help Chamberlain and company snag a rare at-large berth for the Ohio Valley (in the event that dangerous Murray State wins the league).
Mike Gesell, Iowa
9 of 20
Why Heโs Here: The ultra-deep Iowa Hawkeyes are all about interchangeable parts, but even they donโt have another playmaker to match Mike Gesellโs decision-making prowess.
Key Stats: 3.9 assists per game, 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: Iowa has a chance to improve on last yearโs 9-9 conference record even without Roy Devyn Marble, and Gesellโs reputation will get a big boost if the Hawkeyes follow through on that potential.
Kasey Hill, Florida
10 of 20
Why Heโs Here: Kasey Hill is more of a scorer than some guards on this list, which is just one reason heโs ideally suited to replacing Scottie Wilbekin in the Gatorsโ high-speed system.
Key Stats: 3.1 assists in 22 minutes per game, 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: As a sidekick to classmate Chris Walker, Hillโs got a real chance to take Florida to its fifth straight Elite Eight.
Kris Dunn, Providence
11 of 20
Why Heโs Here: Healthy again and out of Bryce Cottonโs shadow, Kris Dunn is ready to show why he was such a coveted recruit two seasons ago.
Key Stats: 5.0 assists per game, 1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: Heโs still a freshman in terms of game experience, as reflected in his elevated turnover numbers.
Dee Davis, Xavier
12 of 20
Why Heโs Here: Even NBA-bound Semaj Christon couldnโt take Xavierโs point guard job away from sure-handed Dee Davis.
Key Stats: 4.7 assists per game, 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: One of the countryโs niftiest ball-handlers, Davis can get to the paint at will but rarely opts to finish himself.
Jordan Woodard, Oklahoma
13 of 20
Why Heโs Here: Replacing Sam Grooms in an otherwise experienced Oklahoma Sooners lineup, freshman Jordan Woodard made Oklahoma a top-10 offense in points per game.
Key Stats: 4.6 assists per game, 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: If he can keep the Sooners winning without Cameron Clark, Woodard might start getting some of the credit as a leader that fellow sophomore Isaiah Taylor has been earning for archrival Texas.
James Robinson, Pittsburgh
14 of 20
Why Heโs Here: After taking a back seat to Pittโs veterans (Ashton Gibbs, Lamar Patterson) for two years, James Robinson takes over as the leader of one of the countryโs most efficient offenses.
Key Stats: 4.1 assists per game, 4.1 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: The ACC is so strong at the top that even a great year from Robinson might not be enough to put a thin Panthers roster back in the NCAA tournament.
Angel Rodriguez, Miami
15 of 20
Why Heโs Here: After two strong seasons at Kansas State, Angel Rodriguez will be one of the most valuable newcomers in the ACC as he looks to salvage Miamiโs attack.
Key Stats: 5.2 assists per game, 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: The Hurricanes are all but starting from scratch on offense, with transfer Sheldon McClellan and freshman JaโQuan Newton expected to be the top scorers, so theyโll really benefit from Rodriguezโs veteran leadership early on.
Kenneth Smith, Louisiana Tech
16 of 20
Why Heโs Here: Despite feeding the most anonymous of scorers at Louisiana Tech, Kenneth Smith is the nationโs returning leader in assists.
Key Stats: 7.7 assists and 2.5 steals per game, 3.2 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: One bad game in the conference tourney cost his Bulldogs an NCAA bid last year, and Smith will be under serious pressure to get back to the Big Dance as a senior.
Monte Morris, Iowa State
17 of 20
Why Heโs Here: Even while spending most of his freshman year as a reserve, Monte Morris proved he was the best pure point guard on Iowa Stateโs roster.
Key Stats: 3.7 assists per game, 4.8 assist-to-turnover ratio (a Division Iย record for a freshman)
X-Factor: Bryce Dejean-Jones will do plenty of ball-handling for the Cyclones, but the error-free Morris will be the primary distributor.
Fred VanVleet, Wichita State
18 of 20
Why Heโs Here: Once a preternaturally calm freshman in the Final Four, Fred VanVleet is now a battle-tested playmaker for the fastest-rising mid-major program in the country.
Key Stats: 5.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game, 4.0 assist-to-turnover ratio, .418 three-point shooting
X-Factor: Although feeding Ron Baker will still be VanVleetโs top priority, he'll need to show off his own three-point touch a bit more often with Cleanthony Early gone.
Tyus Jones, Duke
19 of 20
Why Heโs Here: Tyus Jones couldnโt ask for a much better situation for his freshman year, as he lands on a Duke team with Final Four aspirations to showcase his precocious leadership, plus a wealth of scoring options to feed.
Key Stats: n/a (freshman)
X-Factor: Heโs a terrific on-ball defender who would be getting more credit on that end of the floor if it werenโt for classmate Justise Winslow, whoโs even better.
T.J. McConnell, Arizona
20 of 20
Why Heโs Here: The ideal point guard for Arizonaโs overloaded frontcourt is T.J. McConnell, who rarely shoots himself but knows how to find enough touches for all the big men.
Key Stats: 5.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game, 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio
X-Factor: With Nick Johnson gone, the Wildcats would love to see McConnell return to the three-point shooting form he flashed at Duquesne (.432 in 2011-12).
-(2).jpg?w=600 "SmackDown Grades Before Night Of Champions")
