UConn's Kemba Walker and the Top 25 Pure Scorers in College Basketball

You have to score to win games. That's one of the few truths that exist in college basketball.

Some players are better at putting the ball in the hoop than others. Then there are the truly elite scorers. Those guys are just in a whole different category. They're the pure scorers. 

Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette are two of the many players that have taken the college basketball world by storm so far during this 2010-2011 season. You can count on finding them near the top of this list. 

As a quick heads-up, there are going to be quite a few players on this list that you may not have heard of. A basketball player who doesn't play for a big-name title contender can still be a prolific scorer. 

I wanted to compile this list as objectively as possible. Points per game don't tell the whole story, but fortunately, a stat called Offensive Rating gets far closer. Offensive Rating has a very complicated story, but essentially it compares points produced to possessions. 

To be eligible for the list, a player must also have been involved in at least 28 percent of his team's possessions. That number may seem like an arbitrary cut-off, but if it works for noted basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy, then it works for me. 

However, because of that cut-off, some notable players had to be left off. But fear not, I've included them at the end for your viewing pleasure. 

So now, without further ado, I present to you the 25 best pure scorers in college basketball.

(N.B. All stats are through Saturday, February 19)

25. Marcus Jordan (Central Florida)

With an Offensive Rating of 109.3, Marcus Jordan leads off the list of the top 25 pure scorers in college basketball. In a way, this is only fitting for the son of Michael Jordan. 

His Central Florida team has been slipping down record-wise after a good start, but Jordan's production has not. The sophomore guard from Chicago, Illinois, is averaging 15.7 points per game so far this season. 

He's knocking down 42.2 percent of his shots, 80 percent of his free throws and can shoot the three-ball as well. Jordan has scored in double figures in all but two of his games so far this season. 

It must be tough to score like Jordan does when you have to listen to "You're not Michael!" chants while shooting. 

24. LaceDarius Dunn (Baylor)

After overcoming the distraction of assault charges early in the year, LaceDarius Dunn recovered to post an Offensive Rating of 109.6 so far this season. 

Dunn has scored over 20 points in over half of his games this season, posting a season-high of 43 early in January against Morgan State. 

All in all, the guard is averaging 20.8 points per game. And this is no fluke, since the senior averaged 19.6 points per game during his junior year. He simply knows how to get the ball into the basket. 

Dunn has even had three games this season where he's made five or more shots from behind the arc. In one game he even knocked down 10. 

23. Darius Morris (Michigan)

Somebody had to pick up the slack left behind when Manny Harris departed for the NBA, and Darius Morris has been that guy. In fact, Morris has posted an Offensive Rating of 110.1 this season. 

He's only a sophomore, but Morris sure can get it done. The guard is averaging 15.4 points per game this season, but that number is slowly trending upwards. 

Morris has scored in single figures just four times this year, but three of those disappointing nights came before the calendar read 2011. While his season high is "just" 26 points, he scores right around a dozen and a half night in and night out. 

22. Kevin Foster (Santa Clara)

Playing for the Broncos of Santa Clara, Kevin Foster has managed to earn himself an Offensive Rating of 110.9 so far during the 2010-2011 season. 

The sophomore guard is averaging just a hair shy of 20 points per game this season, posting 19.9 per contest. He's hit double-digits in all but two of his games. 

But most impressively, Foster's best game came against the biggest opponent. Playing against Gonzaga, Foster lit up the scoreboard for 36 points in an 85-71 win. 

21. Vlad Moldoveanu (American)

American University's star player, Vlad Moldoveanu, possesses both an incredible name and an impressive knack for scoring the basketball. His Offensive Rating through Saturday was 111.1. 

Moldoveanu is averaging 19 points per game during his senior season in the nation's capital. His stats, though, are buoyed quite a bit by some explosions and a stellar start to the year. Lately, the forward has been struggling a bit. 

It's now been more than a month since Moldoveanu has scored 20 points in a single game. If American has any shot at making a postseason run, he's going to have to turn the scoring switch back on. 

20. Joevan Catron (Oregon)

Oregon's strange new homecourt isn't the only thing that has dazzled opponents this season. The senior forward named Joevan Catron is having the same effect during his fifth season in green. Catron's Offensive Rating is 111.1. 

Catron had never averaged even nine points per game until this season, during which he's improved greatly to get to a lofty average of 15.7 points per contest. 

He started the season off by exploding for 27 points against North Dakota State and has kept up a good pace throughout the year. He's prone to having dismal performances, but Catron does possess the ability to bounce back the following game and carry the scoring load for his team. 

19. Christian Watford (Indiana)

Indiana basketball has not been very good this season, but the blame cannot possibly fall on the shoulders of their sophomore forward. Christian Watford and his Offensive Rating of 111.4 have been one of the few bright spots during the Hoosiers' 2010-2011 campaign. 

Despite a recent fracture in his left wrist, Watford has gritted it out over the last two games to score 14 and 11 points against Michigan and Northwestern, respectively. Those performances have brought his scoring average down to 16.6 points per game. 

With an efficient 43 percent field goal percentage, Watford has absolutely been the go-to guy for this former basketball powerhouse. 

18. Alec Burks (Colorado)

Colorado may not be enjoying a successful season, but at least fans of the Buffaloes have had the pleasure of watching a future lottery pick play for their team. Alec Burks, a sophomore from Missouri, has worked his way to an Offensive Rating of 111.5. 

From the guard position, Burks has averaged 19.4 points per game so far this season. He doesn't shoot three-pointers particularly well, but Burks can drain them when he's hot. For example, he was three-for-three from downtown during his season-high 36-point outburst against Missouri. 

Burks has scored 20 or more points 15 times in his 27 games this year. That's one way to get yourself noticed by NBA scouts. 

17. Travis Franklin (Colorado State)

From Colorado to Colorado State we go. This time, we're looking at Travis Franklin, who has an Offensive Rating of 112.2 this season. 

As you can see from this video, Franklin can dunk, just not in very impressive fashion. Fortunately for him, his game is not made up of flashy dunks, just efficiency.

Franklin is a senior forward for the Rams and while he's only putting up 13.5 points per game, he does so with extraordinary efficiency. Franklin has made a ridiculous 57.9 percent of his shots from the field this season. 

His best game of the year came against Southern Mississippi when he nailed eight of 12 shots for 25 points. 

16. Gary Flowers (Southern Mississippi)

Speaking of Southern Mississippi, the Golden Eagles have a great scorer as well. Gary Flowers is his name and scoring is his game, as evidenced by his Offensive Rating of 112.4. 

Flowers is a senior, but this is only his second year on the court. After scoring 15 points per game during his junior year, Flowers has improved and is now averaging 20.1 points per game. 

He hasn't scored in single digits once this season and has even broken the 30-point threshold twice this campaign. One of those two times came in his most recent game when he put up 31 against East Carolina in a 72-55 win. 

Flowers may be 6'8", but he can still play down low and drill three-pointers. He's a threat from anywhere on the court. 

15. Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)

After sitting out last season, Reggie Hamilton has returned for the Oakland Grizzlies during his junior year to the tune of a 112.9 Offensive Rating. 

Despite scoring performances of five, four, three and three at various points during the season, Hamilton is still averaging 16.7 points per game. 

The guard is not averse to taking shots in the clutch, as you can see from the embedded video. In fact, Hamilton loves to shoot the three-pointers. He's made five or more in four different games this season. 

Oakland is on quite a tear lately, winning 13 of its last 14 games, partly due to the scoring of Hamilton. You may want to remember this name when you're filling out a bracket. 

14. Tu Holloway (Xavier)

In his last game, Tu Holloway posted his second triple-double of the season, scoring 26 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists against Fordham. He can do it all. There's a reason that Holloway, who has an Offensive Rating of 113, is on the Naismith Watch. 

Holloway has played 26 games this season and has failed to hit 20 or more points in just 10 of them. He's efficient, he's one of the best free-throw shooters in the country, and he can knock down the deep shots. 

There's really not much to dislike about Holloway's game. Trust me, if you watch him play, you'll love Tu too. 

13. Talor Battle (Penn State)

Talor Battle is now in his fourth year for Penn State and he's having his best season yet, as you can see by his Offensive Rating of 113.3. 

Battle averaged 10.2 points as a freshman, then 16.7 as a sophomore and then 18.5 as a junior. Now, during his final year, he's putting up 20.7 points per game. 

When the game is on the line, the ball is going to end up in Battle's more than capable hands. He's scored double figures in all but one game this season. Similarly, he's made a three in all but one contest. 

More recently, Battle has drilled seven three pointers in back-to-back contests. If he can keep that trend going, Penn State may be able to compete with their last three Big Ten opponents. 

12. Mike Muscala (Bucknell)

An Offensive Rating of 113.3 gives Mike Muscala this lofty spot in the rankings. 

The sophomore from Bucknell can play either forward or center. But no matter where he lines up on the court, he plays with great efficiency. 

Thanks to his field goal percentage of 52.5 percent, his free throw percentage of 81.7 percent and his three-for-eight performance from downtown on the season, Muscala is averaging 15.5 points per game.

He's scored in double digits during every game this calendar year and appears to be getting better and better.  

11. Marshon Brooks (Providence)

The leading scorer in the Big East just happens to be the senior guard/forward from Providence who has posted an Offensive Rating of 114. His name is Marshon Brooks.

Brooks has to be one of the most improved players in all of college basketball. After scoring 14.2 points per game during his junior season, the 6'5" stud upped his scoring output to 24.4 points per game this season. He's also improved his rebounding, assists, steals, blocks, field goal percentage and free throw percentage. 

He started out relatively slow to open the season, but just take a gander at this string of points, which started back on November 29th and is still going: 26, 27, 26, 33, 28, 33, 25, 27, 20, 28, 29, 13, 28, 27, 20, 20, 24, 43, 25, 28 and 27. 

Yikes. 

10. Norris Cole (Cleveland State)

Another player who's scored in double-digits during every contest this season, Norris Cole has put Cleveland State on his back quite often this season. In the process, he's earned an Offensive Rating of 114.8.

The senior guard who leads off the top 10 had arguably his most impressive game this Sunday, but it's not being counted in these stats, which are only available through Saturday's games at the time of writing. Cole had 24 of his team's 28 points at halftime and finished with 35 in a loss to Old Dominion. 

Do I need to say anything else? In case I do, he's averaging 20.9 points per game and has even posted a monstrous 41 points in a game against Youngstown State. 

9. Orlando Johnson (UC Santa Barbara)

Orlando Johnson may be one of the least-known players in these rankings, but don't let that fact diminish what he's accomplished. His Offensive Rating of 114.8 is, after all, the highest on the list thus far. 

The junior guard for the Gauchos averaged 18 points per game last season, but that didn't stop him from improving to his current 21.2 points per game. Johnson has made 48.6 percent of his shots from the field so far this year, a ridiculously high percentage for a guard. 

It's not like all his shots are layups, though. Johnson loves to shoot the deep ball and does so quite well. 

8. Jon Leuer (Wisconsin)

The 6'10" senior with the 118 Offensive Rating is both one of the nation's best players and one of the most versatile.

Playing for Wisconsin, Jon Leuer is averaging 19.2 points per game this season, by far the highest number of his career. 

Leuer simply doesn't miss shots. His field goal percentage is 48.1 percent, his free throw percentage is 85.3 percent and his three point percentage is 42.9 percent.

Don't let his size fool you though, the high three point percentage is not a byproduct of not taking a lot of shots from behind the arc. Leuer has attempted 10 three-pointers twice this season and takes a bunch in every single game. 

Wisconsin couldn't have knocked Ohio State off the top without the services of this talented player. 

7. Kemba Walker (Connecticut)

It may surprise you to see Kemba Walker this far down in the rankings, but his Offensive Rating is "only" 118. 

Walker's flair for the dramatic has increased national perception about his scoring prowess to ridiculous heights. But when you really look at the numbers, you learn that he does score a lot but he takes a lot of shots to do so. 

UConn's guard is averaging 22.9 points per game, but his field goal percentage is only 42.9 percent. It's a case of high-volume scoring being the direct result of always getting to take the shots. 

Trust me, though, I'm not trying to bring Kemba's reputation down. There's a reason he gets to take so many shots after all. 

6. Andrew Goudelock (College of Charleston)

Andrew Goudelock and his 118.1 Offensive Rating not only earned the No. 6 spot in these rankings, but also my vote for coolest name on the list. 

Playing for the College of Charleston, Goudelock's finest moment came last year when he triggered a huge upset win over North Carolina. But this season, he's improved his game even more and is now averaging 23.4 points per game, four more than he did last year as a junior. 

Goudelock has had one stinker this season, a three-point performance in a loss to Morehead State. But other than that, he's put the ball in the basket quite often. 

5. Jimmer Fredette (BYU)

To all those who were hoping that Jimmer Fredette would be No. 1, I apologize. I was hoping that he would be too. But alas, Fredette's Offensive Rating of 118.5 falls short. 

What is there left to say about this guy? We've all seen him drill deep threes by now. We've all seen him create ridiculous baskets. 

The guy is a scorer. In fact, my friends have started saying "Jimmer it!" when they want a player to take a deep three-pointer. 

Fredette is averaging 27.2 points per game this season, more than anyone else in the country. He's scored double-digits in every game and even had a stretch where he broke the 40-point barrier three times in four games. 

I'll admit it, I have a man-crush on Jimmer Fredette. But so does the rest of the country. 

4. Nolan Smith (Duke)

It's hard to believe that a Duke player hasn't gotten enough publicity, but Nolan Smith still doesn't get the amount of credit that he deserves. His Offensive Rating of 118.8 is absolutely ridiculous when you remember that he shares the floor with Kyle Singler and other great players. 

Smith is averaging 21.4 points per game and he rebounds and dishes out great passes as well. His 48.1 field goal percentage is quite impressive for a guard and he never seems to hog the ball. 

Instead, he picks the right times to fire and usually finds the bottom of the net. Duke may be disappointed by its two losses, but the Blue Devils can't be disappointed with the performance of Smith. 

When Kyrie Irving went down, someone had to step up. Smith did. 

3. Nate Wolters (South Dakota State)

After a few straight national spotlight-hogs, it's time to shine the bright lights on another relatively unknown player. Nate Wolters doesn't get much attention because he plays for the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State, but he should get more thanks to his 120.3 Offensive Rating. 

He's only a sophomore, so his current average of 19.2 points per game may be the floor for Wolters during the next two seasons. 

The numbers could be especially scary in the future when you consider the fact that he's scored 30 and 29 points during his last two games. What's particularly impressive, though, is that he's still managed to dish out 6.1 dimes per game while putting the ball through the net so often. 

2. Charles Jenkins (Hofstra)

The difference between the Offensive Rating's of the No. 2 and No. 3 players in these rankings is as great as the difference between No. 3 and No. 10. Charles Jenkins' 126 is just that much better than Nate Wolters' 120.3. 

Jenkins is no stranger to scoring a lot of points. Now in his senior year, Jenkins is averaging 23.3 points per game, slightly higher than the 19.7 and 20.6 points per game he scored during his sophomore and junior seasons, respectively. 

Other than a game where he scored just 13 and another with only 15, Jenkins has scored 18 or more points in every single game. His season high thus far is 40, coming in an 89-85 win at Binghamton. 

1. Derrick Williams (Arizona)

It's only fitting that our No. 1 scorer is the young man who many believe will be the top pick in the upcoming 2011 NBA Draft. Derrick Williams, a sophomore for Arizona, has been ridiculously good while posting an Offensive Rating of 126.2. 

The forward is averaging "only" 19.7 points per game, but the way in which he scores them is unbelievable. 

His field goal percentage is 63.1 percent. 

63.1 percent. 

Yes, you read that correctly. No, I did not mistype it. 

63.1 percent. 

Oh yeah, and he's making 67.5 percent of his three-point attempts. And he's taken 40. Yikes. 

He may not be flashy, but the numbers he puts up are simply crazy. 

Notable Missing Players

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS - NOVEMBER 20: Jordan Taylor #11 of the Wisconsin Badgers brings the ball up the court against the UNLV Rebels during their game at the Thomas & Mack Center November 20, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. UNLV won 68-65. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty I

All of the players that I'm about to mention have Offensive Ratings that would place them in the top three of the previous rankings. However, they simply aren't used on enough possessions to qualify. 

Mickey McConnell: The Saint Mary's guard is averaging 16.9 points per game this season and has made some notable shots, including an incredible game-winner against Gonzaga in The Kennel. 

Jordan Taylor: One of the most underrated players in the country, Taylor is averaging 18 points per game and keyed a win against Ohio State while the Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 in the nation. 

Marcus Denmon: Missouri's stud guard, Denmon is averaging 16.6 points per contest and has a season-high of 25 points, which came in his most recent game, a 76-70 win against Iowa State. 

John Jenkins: I absolutely love this guard for Vanderbilt who is averaging 19.9 points per game. In fact, I recently wrote a piece called Vanderbilt Commodores Star John Jenkins: Could He Be Stephen Curry 2.0?

Marcus Morris: The better scorer of Kansas' set of Morrises, Marcus 16.7 points per game during his junior season. He can explode in any given game, as his 33-point outburst against Iowa State proved. Cyclones fans, I promise I'm not picking on you guys. 

Austin Freeman:  Despite a recent slump, Georgetown's senior guard is still averaging 17.7 points per contest. Georgetown can't afford too many more four-point performances from Freeman, though.

Ashton Gibbs: In his return from an MCL injury, Gibbs scored 26 points against St. John's in a loss. Now he's averaging 16.7 points per game during his junior year. 

Jared Sullinger: The freshman of the year and potential national player of the year is averaging 17.8 points per game on 56.4 percent shooting. He's kind of good.