Ranking the Big East: Guards

Time for the final part of the ranking the Big East. We covered forwards and centers earlier this week. Since there are so many guards in the league, I have separated them into projected starters and reserves. It’s much easier. Let’s get to the list. Remember, these rankings are to be taken very seriously. 

Guards

Starters

Ashton Gibbs – Pittsburgh. Gibbs is one of the best players in America. He’s a first team All American, and the preseason Big East Player of the Year. He averaged 16.8 points a game, chipped in 2.4 rebounds, with 2.7 assists. Gibbs is a dead eye shooter. He hit 47% of his shots from the field last year. He hit 102-208 from 3, which is a ridiculous 49%. He is money at the free throw line, a career 88% foul shooter. He’s a hell of a player, and the best in the conference.

Jeremy Lamb – Connecticut. Lamb had a solid start to his collegiate career until the middle of January then he took off. He averaged 13.7 points a game the rest of the way with some nice rebounding performances. In the Final Four, he averaged 12, 8, 3 assists. Lamb his 49% from the field, 37% from deep and 80% from the foul line. He averaged 4.5 boards a game with 1.6 assists and a steal. If he can iron out some of the inconsistent patches, 5 of 7 games with single digit points and rebounds late February, he’ll be a star. He’s got some big shoes to fill, but there isn’t a lot of doubt he can do it.

Darius Johnson-Odom – Marquette. DJO is one of my favorite non Bearcats in the Big East. He put up a cool 15.8 points. He added 3 boards, 2.3 assists and 31 steals. His shooting percentages took a little tumble, down 2% to 43, while his 3 point percentage dropped 11% to 36. He did raise his free throw attempts and percentage, taking 171 and making 71%. DJO comes at you lefty, and his really hard to guard. He’s got a slick game. He’s a fun player to watch. I would take him on my team any day.

Scoop Jardine – Syracuse. Scoop had a very nice junior season for the Orange. He scored 12.5 points with 5.9 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals. Scoop, like Raphielle Johnson told me, holds a lot of the cards for the league in his hands. He can be a spectacular player to watch, and at the same time he can make fans slam their heads against the wall. Jardine needs to improve his foul shooting. He fell form 83% to 75 to 66 last year. He gets to the line quite a bit, so that really needs to change. Jardine is a good 3 point shooter at 36%, but he could be a little better. Scoop can be all world. He can lead the Orange to a deep run, or an early exit.

Maalik Wayns – Villanova. Villanova is Wayns’ team this year. He put up 13.8 points, 4.5 assists, 2.8 boards and 1.2 steals last year. He’s taking on a bigger role this year. Expect those stats to increase. He finished the year strong statistically with 27 and 24 before a disappointing 7 against George Mason in the NCAA. The biggest flaw in his game is the 3 shooting. He was 27% last year, which is just not good enough. He made up for that by getting to the line 172 times and making 82%. If he can get back to his freshman season 43% from the field and 31% from deep, with his increased role big things could happen. He’s someone to bet on for having a big year.

Shabazz Napier – Connecticut. SHABAZZ had a very solid freshman season as the UConn PG with 7.8 points, 3 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals. Napier played 20 minutes in all but 4 of the Husky games. He point guard skills are very high, it’s his shooting that leaves a little to be desired. He shot 37% overall and just 32.6% from deep. Since over half of his shots were 3s, that’s not really good. The next step for his game is getting the percentages up. He’s gonna shoot no matter what, gotta get a few more in. He’s a talented kid.

Peyton Siva – Louisville. Siva is expected to take the next step to elite PG this season. He made the transition from role player to starter easily, averaging 9.9, 5.2 assists, 3 boards and 2 steals. Siva shot 45% from the floor last year, which is good. He shot 27% from 3, which is bad. He hit 68% from the line. The last 2 numbers need to be raised somewhere around 7%. Siva hit 40% from deep as a freshman. Siva is extremely quick. Like Scoop, he’s going to be the guy who gets Louisville deep into the tournament, or go home early.

Vincent Council – Providence. Council had a very solid sophomore season with 13.7 points, 5.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals. His 3 point percentage rose to 34, his free throw rate increased, as did his free throw percentage. Unfortunately for Council, his turnover rate rose to 3.3 a game. His shooting percentage dropped to 36 from 40. The good news for Council is that those things can turn around. With no Marshon Brooks, Council is going to be relied on a lot more. He can make shots, get to the line, and set up his teammates. I think he’s underrated. I’m going predict Council ends up on an All Big East team this year.

Brandon Young – DePaul. Young burst on the scene last year as one of the best guard prospects in the league. He averaged 12.6, 3.7 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1 steal. He shot 43% from the field, hitting 33% from deep. He got to the line quite a bit, making 71%. Young’s biggest flaw was turning the ball over 3 times a game. He finished the year with 20+ points in 3 of 4 games. Take away a 6 game slide, and he could have averaged 14-15 points. If he improves his percentages like sophomores normally do, he could reach that anyway. He and Cleveland Melvin are the reasons there is hope for DePaul just yet.

Jason Clark – Georgetown. Clark averaged 12 points, 4 boards, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals as a junior. He’s going to be expected to pick up the void left by Chris Wright and Austin Freeman. Clark tore up opponents the first 2 months with 8 games of 15+ points. After January 8, he had 3. In fact, he had just 9 double digit games the rest of the way. He rebounded well the last 5 games of the season. Clark has the ability to be the guy that we saw in the first half of the season. For the Hoyas this year, he’s gotta be ready to fill the void. Getting to the line more would be a nice help. Clark getting to his career average of 38% from deep, along with his increasing FG percentages every year could mean he’s a top guard in the league.

Darryl ‘Truck’ Bryant – West Virginia. Bryant has been a starter for West Virginia from nearly the moment he stepped into Morgantown. He can play on the ball, and like he probably will most of the time, off the ball. He averaged 11.3 points a game, with 2.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. He shot 32% from 3, and just 33% from the field. He could afford to bump those numbers up a little bit. He is a great foul shooter, hitting 83%. He played all 40 minutes of the NKU exhibition, so that should tell you that Truck is going to be on the floor a whole lot.

Nurideen Lindsey – St John’s. I may be overreacting and way too high on Lindsey, but I don’t care. He’s jumped off the screen in the first two St John’s games. Too Easy has made it look that, with 17 points a game, 2.5 assists, and 2 boards. He’s got an unsustainable 4 steals a game. He’s turned the ball over a bit too much and been dreadful 8 for 17 at the line. Lindsey is getting to the line at a good rate though. He’s played under control and made big baskets for the Johnnies. He’s going to be one of their go to guys, and he seems like a good one.

Dane Miller – Rutgers. I’m buying in whole heartedly into the Dane Miller redemption story. Miller ended up having nearly the same 9, 6, 2.5 assist, 1 steal season he had as a freshman. Miller improved his defense greatly. He didn’t buy into Mike Rice’s system last year. He has changed his tune this year and accepted a leadership role with this club. He hit 42% from the field last season, which can be improved on some. His 3% and his FT% definitely need to improve if he’s taking the next step. He shot 22% from deep and 55% from the line. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for those percentages to be 10% higher. If they are, watch out because Miller is has a ton of talent.

 

Brandon Triche – Syracuse. Triche had a nice sophomore campaign with 11 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.7 boards. Triche saw his shooting percentages drop last year, 42% overall, 33% from deep. He raised his FT percentage to 84. Triche can play either guard spot. He really turned up his play late in the season with 6 games of 15+ points the last 2 months. If he can play at the high level of the last 2 months, he and Scoop Jardine could be one of the best starting backcourts in the nation.

Jordan Theodore – Seton Hall. Theodore started 26 of the 31 Pirate games last year putting up 11 points, 4.4 assists and 3 boards. He boosted his FG and FT percentages to boost his numbers last year. Theodore could boost the numbers a little more this season. The knock on him was the turnovers, which doubled from the ’10 season. Theodore is a solid PG who is capable of having big games. If anything, he needs to get a little more involved shooting wise. The Pirates plan to get him off the ball more, so that should happen.

Kyle Kuric – Louisville. I think Kuric is a darkhorse for the Big East Player of the Year. He stepped his game up last year to 10.8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and a steal. He shot 51% from the field and 45% from 3. He only got to the line 33 times, but made 76%. Kuric is a nice defender. His spot on the floor is the corner, or the korner. When Kuric stepped up his production near the tail end of last year, he gave the Cardinals another dimension. Kuric can be too passive. I think he’s going to play with more aggression this season. 

Tray Woodall – Pittsburgh. Woodall played in every game last season, getting the start in 4. He averaged 6.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. He has improved his foul shooting every year, up to 73% last year. He is a poor 3 point shooter, 27% on his career. That’s a major area for him to look to improve on. Woodall has worked the previous 3 seasons to get the chance to be a starter. I think he takes full advantage of it.

Eric Atkins – Notre Dame. Atkins was the backup to Ben Hansbrough for most of last season, now he’s the starter. He averaged 5.8 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.8 boards. His best month was January, where he boosted his offensive game by going 20-26 at the foul line. He showed off his great passing skills with 10 games of 5+ assists. He was 41% from the field, 35% from deep, and finished at 76% at the line. It doesn’t appear like the drop off at point is going to be that big for ND.

Dominic Cheek – Villanova. Cheek has a somewhat disappointing sophomore season. He scored 5.6 points a game with 3.4 boards in 19 minutes, which doesn’t look too bad. Most of that came early in the season, like Edwin of Seton Hall. From the Cincinnati game on, he had 1 double digit scoring game after having 5 the first 2 months of the season. He had the occasion good rebounding performance, but was a non factor in the Nova collapse. Cheek gets the chance to rectify that this season. He’s in the starting lineup. He had a solid all around game in the exhibition game with 8 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists. He doesn’t have to score 20 a night, but he’s got to raise the 36% from the field and 30% from 3. If he bumps them up 4% each, with his talent, he would have a good year.

Jabarie Hinds – West Virginia. Hinds comes in to this season as a top 100 recruit, and the 20th ranked point guard of the class. He averaged 17.7 points, 3.7 boards, 3.4 assists and 2.7 steals a game. He’s already in the Mountaineer starting lineup. He’s got a lot of talent and could be a special player in the league sooner rather than later. I would bet on sooner.

Fuquan Edwin – Seton Hall. Edwin started 26 of the 31 Pirate games his freshman season. He put up 7.9 points, 3.3 boards and 1.2 steals a game. He shot 41% and just 31.6% from 3. He wasn’t a great foul shooter at 65%. Edwin got off to a great start to the season with 10 double digit scoring performances the first 2 months. Then he hit the wall, only getting 2 the rest of the season. He had 5 points or less 10 times. But, the potential and opportunity is there for Edwin to become a high profile player in the league. Seton Hall is a young team, and they need Edwin to perform at a high level.

Scott Martin – Notre Dame. Martin got his ND career off to a very nice start by putting up 9.7, 4.8, and 1.8 assists. Martin hit 43% from the field and 33% from 3. The only statistical decrease he saw were in free throw attempts and makes, 112-86 and 70-64%. He had a few games where he disappeared, but for the most part he would stuff one part of the stat sheet a game. The biggest issue is his health. He’s battling an ankle injury now. If he can stay healthy, he’s going to have an impactful season.

Junior Cadougan – Marquette. Cadougan is playing in his third season as a Golden Eagle, but in an odd twist of fate, he only made his first FG last year. He went on to average 4 points a game, 3 assists and 1.8 rebounds in nearly 20 minutes a game. He hit 42% of the field, and 63% from the stripe. He took only 13 triple attempts. Junior is the most experience point guard on the roster, and is in the starting lineup for this season. He only turned the ball over 58 times last year. If he can be the floor general and set the pieces up, he would have a successful junior season campaign.

D’Angelo Harrison – St John’s. Harrison is one of the top 100 recruits stepping foot on the floor for the Red Storm this season. He’s stepped right in to 31 minutes a game and the starting rotation. Harrison has put in 13 points a game with 3.5 boards. He’s taken 10 of the 24 St John’s triples so far. He’s made 3. Harrison has 5 steals, and has played some solid defense. Harrison has not turned the ball over yet. He can play both guard spots, and with how thin St John’s is, he will.

James Bell – Villanova. Bell had a pretty low key freshman season averaging 2.4 points and 1.3 rebounds a game. He hit 42% from the field, but only 32% from 3. He scored 21 of his 61 points in an out of nowhere performance against Seton Hall. He hit 7-9, 4-6 from deep, with 3 boards and 2 steals. He’s in the starting lineup. He started during the FIBA championships over the summer. He’s explosive, has range and can D up. Sounds like the next rising Nova star.

Lamar Patterson – Pittsburgh. The redshirt sophomore played in all but 2 games as a freshman. He got 12.5 minutes a game, averaging 2.6 points, 2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and he had 14 steals. He earned co-most improved player honors. His shooting leaves something to be desired. He is at 32% from the field for his career, 27% from 3. He was 8-36 last year. That’s something that can improve with time. He can play 3 positions. He’s listed as guard, but played small forward and power forward last year. He’ll probably stick out on the perimeter this year. He seems to be working his way into the starting lineup already, which is why he’s listed with the starters.

Eli Carter – Rutgers. Carter is ranked 114th by Rivals. He is stepping on the floor right away as the starting shooting guard for the Scarlet Knights. He took over the exhibition game with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. He was good from deep hitting 4 of 6. He put up 15, 6 assists and 5 rebounds in high school. He can play both guard spots, and probably will. Experience could be a factor.

Myles Mack – Rutgers. Mack comes into Rutgers as a top 60 recruit. He guided his high school team to an undefeated record and #1 ranking. He averaged 15.2 points, 3.6 assists and 2.9 steals. He can take the ball to the rim and draw fouls. That ability was showcased by 9 FT attempts in the exhibition game. He added 4 assists with only 1 turnover. Mack is 5-9, which could hurt with some of the bigger PGs in the league. He’s got a nice pedigree, which should help with the growing pains.

Jeremiah Kelly – DePaul. Kelly started 30 of the 31 Blue Demon games a year ago. He played 31 minutes a game, while scoring 7.6 points, dishing 2.9 assists and getting 2.2 rebounds. He also was good for nearly 2 steals a game. A big part of his increased scoring was his improved shooting. He went from 34% to 37% from the field. The biggest change was 29% to 36% from 3. Kelly somehow only shot 26 free throws last year, which doesn’t help things. He’s going to be on the floor a lot. If he can keep raising his percentages, and get to the line more, DePaul will have a solid backcourt.

Chris Smith – Louisville. Smith had a solid season with 9.4 points, 4.6 boards, 2.5 assists and a steal. He shot 45% for the season, including a sparkling 40% from deep. He was 68% from the foul line. Smith had a great scoring start to the season before struggling the last 2 months. He had 10 single digit scoring games through January, then 8 in February and March. He did pick up his rebounding game. Smith is a little too passive. A more aggressive Smith could be a surprise.

Darrun Hilliard – Villanova. Hilliard is a 3 star recruit according to Rivals. He put up 19.7 points a game as a senior. He’s a lefty, which is always good. Hilliard earned praise for his play in Europe over the summer and started the exhibition game. He had a modest night mainly due to foul trouble. He’s 6’6 and “extremely versatile,” according to Jay Wright. Playing multiple positions is probably a given. He will see time starting at the 2 or 3, and time backing up Wayns.

Bryce Cotton – Providence. Cotton looks to be a player on the rise. He started both of the exhibition games and put up 26 and 16. I know exhibitions are nothing hang you hat on, but Cotton’s improvement is a big deal for the Friars. He shot 39% from the field, but hit only 14 of 54 3s. That was good for 4 points a game. He pulled down a board and half and not much else. Cotton got the line at a nice rate for someone who played 15 minutes, and hit 78%. Cotton disappeared for 2 months last year, but finished the year on a solid note. There are big scoring shoes to fill, and Cotton is getting first crack.

Markel Starks – Georgetown. Starks saw action in 30 games his freshman season, getting around 10 minutes a game. He scored 46 points with 20 assists and 17 rebounds. His highest scoring games were both against Syracuse. Those numbers are going to change pretty dramatically, as Starks is the new starting PG. Starks was brutal from the field last year. He hit only 28% of his shots. 35 of them were 3s, of which he hit 9. Starks seems to be a leader on the team, and he needs to be solid.

Joey Brooks – Notre Dame. Brooks played a small role for the Irish last season averaging 1.6 points and 1.1 boards a game. His minutes dropped significantly when conference play started. He got 23 minutes a game in the exhibition season, averaging 5 points and 2.5 assists. For his career, Brooks is a 41.5% shooter. He’s been poor from deep (25%) and at the stripe (53%). If he’s going to be starting all year, Brooks needs to step up offensively.

Shaun Noriega – South Florida. Noriega moves into the starting lineup full time for the Bulls this year, after starting 10 games last season. He averaged 6.4 points and frankly nothing else. He’s a 3 point gunner. 141 of his 168 shots last year were from deep. He connected at a 38% rate. He was money at the line, 80%. Noriega is a very 1 dimensional player. He either needs to shoot the lights out, or work on the other facets of his game.

Jerian Grant – Notre Dame. Grant didn’t play at all last season. This year he’s been in the starting lineup for both exhibition games. He should see minutes when Eric Atkins is on the bench as well. He has not been shy to put up the rock in exhibition play, taking the second most shots to Tim Abromaitis. He put up 6 assists a game in the exhibitions. I know basing a ranking on 2 games that don’t count isn’t the best way to do it, but this is the only action we have of Grant. He needs to protect the ball a bit more.

LaVonte Dority – South Florida. Dority didn’t do a whole lot last year, 149 minutes, 18 points, 11 assists. He had 14 fouls and 14 turnovers. The reason he is here on the list is because he started the exhibition game and played relatively well. He had 4 points, 5 assists and 2 steals. More importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over. Dority is thought of to be keeping the seat warm for Blake Nash.

RESERVES

Dion Waiters – Syracuse. Waiters came off the bench last season, and he’s going to come off the bench this season. That’s not a bad thing however. Waiters got 16 minutes a game and scored 6.6 points. He chipped in 1.6 boards, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals. Waiters was one of the top scorers off the bench last year, and he’s going to be the same this year. Waiters hit 41% from the field and 33% from deep. He could bump up the 3 percentage a little. He’s a good foul shooter at 81%. Could be 6th man of the year potential.

Malik Stith – St John’s. Stith played in 26 games last year. He put in 3.3 points, a board and an assist in 12 minutes. So far this season, he’s been the 7th man. That’s netted him 21 minutes a game. He’s put up 4 points, 1.5 assists and a board. Stith has gotten to an 0-8 start from 3. St John’s is pretty thin. Stith is going to see consistent minutes. He’s a good passer and good defender. He’s gotta get the shot straightened out to be a big time contributor.

Michael Carter-Williams – Syracuse. MCW comes in as a top 20 recruit. He’s going to see a lot of action as one of the reserve guards. He’s been a passing machine in the exhibition season. MCW has showed off his range from deep already. He’s got the talent and ability to put in a lot of points in a short amount of time. He can do a lot. His being a freshman could hold him back somewhat. The Big East has chewed up better guards than Carter-Williams. He has the advantage of being able to set up CJ Fair and Brandon Triche on the second unit though. I expect big things.

Haralds Karlis – Seton Hall. Karlis is a 6-5 guard from Latvia. He played in the Canary Islands last year, averaging 22.6, 7.6 and 5.3 assists. He’s been talked about as possibly the 2 guard for the Pirates. He’s turned a lot of heads and gotten a lot of fans excited about his play. Even if he doesn’t start, he could see a lot of action on the floor for Seton Hall.

Pat Connaughton – Notre Dame. Pat is the only freshman on the ND squad. He averaged 23-17-8 during his high school career, which is insane. He was a top 100 recruit by Scout and ESPN. He came off the bench to starter minutes in both exhibitions. He had nice all around games in both. Brey and the rest of the Irish are really high on Pat. He will get a chance to produce early with Abromaitis suspended the first 4 games. I think his playing time will increase as the season goes along.

Gary Browne – West Virginia. Browne is a 3 star recruit according to Rivals. He was cleared kind of late, but cleared is all he needed to be. He played 27 minutes in the exhibition, leading the team with 4 assists. West Virginia looks like they are going to run a 3 guard lineup at you a lot, and with the talent of the guards, that’s very understandable. Browne averaged 7.5 assists and 4 steals a game in HS. He was also a member of the Puerto Rican national team.

Ty Johnson – Villanova. Johnson comes into Nova with a lot of hype being a 4 star recruit. Johnson is expected to be the primary backup behind Maalik Wayns at PG. He broke his foot over the summer, but has recovered. He played 14 minutes in the exhibition with 6 points and 2 assists. Jay Wright is high on his leadership. That’s always a good thing. Johnson should see 10-15 minutes all season long.

Jawanza Poland – South Florida. The exciting JAWANZA would probably rank a little higher on the list if not for a back injury. The injury has him out for any of a couple of weeks to a month. He was definitely the most exciting Bull last season with his dunking ability. He average 9 points with 2.6 boards. He was not very protective of the ball with 68 turnovers. He also fouled out 6 times. Poland’s shooting from deep was 23%. That’s horrible period. Especially when the guy takes 110. If Poland can fix his shot and come back healthy, he could unleash a few more highlight reels for USF.

Vander Blue – Marquette. Vander Blue was a top 30 recruit when he stepped on campus last season. He started the season in the starting lineup, even registering a 21 point outing. After a decent 6 games to start Big East play, Blue was for the most part highly ineffective, scoring 22 points the rest of the season. The answer seems to be that he hit the wall, and wasn’t ready for the Big East competition. Blue averaged 5.1, and 2.8 in 19 minutes last year, so even with the slide he was still a quality player overall. He’s had a summer to get ready for the grind. The question remains if he can be the player we think he is.

Jabril Trawick – Georgetown. Trawick is an ESPN top 80 recruit, ranked the 23rd best SG in the class. He’s expected to be one of the first guards off the bench for the Hoyas this season. They are really short at guard, 4 listed, so he will get the chance to shine. He’s been applauded for his defense and his high flying ability. He will probably back up at the 1 and 2, so adjusting to the system quickly is a must.

Mike Poole – Rutgers. Poole was expected to start by some people this season, but it appears he’s going to be coming off the bench. He played that role last year to the tune of 5.6 points, 3.3 boards, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals. Poole hit 42% from the field and 71% from the free throw line. He is not a good 3 point shooter at all. He was only 3 of 19 last year. Poole is a solid hand off the bench.

Niels Giffey – Connecticut – Giffey played a solid part on the national championship team kicking in 2.2 points and 1.4 boards in an average of 9 minutes. He helped during the title game with 4 points and 6 boards. He started 10 games. He hit 40% from the field, and 32% from deep. He was very accurate at the free throw line, but didn’t take a ton of attempts. He turned the ball over nearly 1 time a game, which is very high. That’s something he needs to work on. It appears he’s going to be in the same role as last year, but with a few more minutes a game. Something like 4 and 2.5 would be nice.

Russ Smith – Louisville. This ranking could be low for Russ. He’s been moved to the 2, which is a good thing because Smith loves shooting. In the last exhibition game with most of the Card stars out, he took double the shots of the next player. He looks to be relied on as a scorer off the bench. He hit 41% from 3 last year, but only 34% from the field overall. That’s kind of weird. He needs to cut down on the turnovers. He had 1 less turnover than assist last year.

Achraf Yacoubou – Villanova. Asch, as he’s called his teammates, comes in as a 4 star ESPN recruit. He is 6-4, 210. Asch put up 19-9 in high school. He seems like he’s going to be part of the guard rotation at Nova. Most of his playing time seems to depend on how he’s shooting. He was 3-5 from deep in the exhibition, which netted him 27 minutes. The Nova logjam at guard means whoever has the hot hand is getting minutes. Asch is a streak shooter, so I think he’ll have his times in the sun.

Phil Greene – St John’s. Greene is the 8th of 8 men in the St John’s rotation. The 3 star recruit hasn’t lit up the floor in his 17 minutes a game so far. He hasn’t made an FG yet, but has gotten to the line 4 times. He’s chipped in on rebounding though. He’s lauded as a defender and that seems to be his main role off the bench. He’s going to take some 3s. Greene is a nice young talent. If he can grow as the season progresses, that would be nice.

Jerome Seagears – Rutgers. Seagears comes to Rutgers as a top 100 recruit. He’s expected to fight for the starting point guard job. He’s going to be playing the point no matter what anyway. He is not shy about pulling the trigger from deep, taking 6 in the exhibition opener. He averaged 32 and 9 assists in high school. He probably won’t pull that off this season. He tied for the team lead with 4 assists in the exhibition opener. Seagears is going to take his bumps going through the league, but has the makings of a good guard.

Cameron Wright – Pittsburgh. Wright is a redshirt freshman. He was ranked 74 by Scout coming out of high school. He set his schools scoring record, so he can put the ball in the basket. He’s gotten solid minutes in the exhibition season. He’s taken advantage of that by showing off his passing skills. He’s going to fight for reserve guard minutes. He’s a nice player.

Blake Nash – South Florida. Nash is a 3 star JUCO according to Rivals. He put up 22, 5.6 boards, 4.5 assists and 2.3 steals. The tea leaves point to Nash being the point guard for the majority of the season. He is the most talented of the bunch. He played 15 minutes in the exhibition. The offense was said to run smoothly with him on the floor. No offense to Dority, but if USF isn’t going to finish in the basement, Nash should be running the show. For now, he’s ranked with other reserves I’m unsure of.

Derrick Wilson – Marquette. Wilson is a 3 star recruit according to ESPN. He put up 17, 6 assists, 5.6 boards and 4 steals last year, becoming a McDonald’s All American nominee. He’s got a big frame for a PG compared to others in the league, 6-1, 215. It’s being speculated that he could get minutes as the back up PG, as he is the only other PG on the roster after Junior Cadougan. Buzz Williams called him “the best freshman on ball defender he’s had,” (via same link) which could mean significant minutes for Wilson.

Charles McKinney – DePaul. McKinney is a 2 star recruit by Scout for the Blue Demons, but a top 52 shooting guard by ESPN. He put up 12.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.2 steals a game last year. DePaul only went 9 deep in their exhibition opener. With a short bench opportunity is there for McKinney. He got 20 minutes, responding with 6 points and 4 boards. He turned the ball over 3 times, which is way too much. Purnell noted his strong defense after the game. If he can be a guy who chips in with quality minutes, it would be a boost for the depleted Blue Demons.

Aaron Cosby – Seton Hall. The freshman comes to Seton Hall as a 3 star recruit according to Rivals. The word about the Hall has been that Cosby is one of the candidates to play on the ball so Jordan Theodore can play off the ball more. He’s also got an edge on the starting 2 spot. Cosby is a nice 3 point shooter. He hit 5 or more 3s eight times as a HS senior. At 6’3, 190, he has a Big East ready body. Cosby could be a starter, or the 7th man for Seton Hall.

Wayne Blackshear – Louisville. Blackshear is a top 30 recruit by just about everyone. His shoulder injury has him sidelined for either 4-6 weeks or until February. Not having a clear outlook on when he’s going to step on the floor hampers his ranking. When he steps on the floor, he shoots to the top of the reserve list. Until then, he’s in purgatory.

Hugh Robertson – South Florida. Robertson got 30 minutes a game last season, in which the JUCO transfer averaged 8.3 points and 4.3 rebounds. He hit 40% from the field and 32% from deep. He was 71% from the foul line. His big problem were turnovers. He had 50 to just 58 assists. Roberston looks to have fallen out of the starting lineup for the Bulls. He played 20 minutes in the exhibition. He could contribute as a defensive stopper off the bench.

Malick Kone – Rutgers. Kone comes in ranked as the 53rd small forward as ranked by ESPN. He averaged 16 and 6 in high school. Kone played 17 minutes in the exhibition. He took advantage of that time by scoring 15 points with 8 rebounds, 5 offensive. Kone should see some time at the 2 and the 3. Kone will be the 7th or 8th man for the Scarlet Knights. I expect something like a 6 and 3 line from his this year in around 15 minutes of time.

Alex Dragicevich – Notre Dame. Alex played in 14 games last year, but the 6-7 sophomore is seeing a lot more action now. He looks like he’s going to be the 6th or 7th man. He fits right in with Scott Martin as Notre Dame tall guards who can knock down 3s and be generally annoying. He didn’t do much in the way of rebounding in the exhibitions. That’s gotta change.

Mike Marra – Louisville. Marra hasn’t lived up to the hype of being the greatest shooter Rick Pitino has ever seen. Marra has averaged just 31% from the field his career, including a horrible 27% from 3. 85% of his shots are 3s, so that’s really bad. Marra got 2 boards and dished out 2 assists. He can have the occasional nice game when he gets his shot falling, ask Marquette in the Big East Tournament, but more than not Marra can’t be counted on offensively. He has developed into a nice defensive player.

Worrel Clahar – DePaul. Clahar is a JUCO transfer who is going to take the place as the backup point guard. It’s a role that suits him well, as he averaged 7 assists last year. He also put up 13 points, 4 boards and 3 steals. He’s not an offensive dynamo, but more of an energy, defense, passing guy off the bench. He pulled home 4 boards in the exhibition.

Freddie Wilson – Seton Hall. Wilson comes to the Pirates at the 83rd ranked PG by ESPN. He has earned a buzz around him with his solid practices and play in scrimmage games. He’s looking like the backup PG to Theodore and should see some joint time on the floor with him.

Todd Mayo – Marquette. The younger brother of OJ Mayo is a Rivals 3 star recruit. He put up 22 points a game with 6 assists his senior season. He’s bursting with athleticism. His brother had a lot of skill, and it looks like it passed on. Williams doesn’t give a ton of run to freshmen, and Marquette’s best players are at the guard spots and the 3. Mayo’s going to have to maximize his early season minutes if he wants big ones in Big East play.

Austin Carroll – Rutgers. Carroll played in 25 games as a freshman, putting up 2.7 points and 1 assist. He was money from deep after returning from injury, hitting 14 of 31 from deep. He’s being looked for to be a defense guy and obviously extending the defense. All the shots he took in the exhibition were 3s. 43 of the 58 shots he took last year were triples.

Elisha Justice – Louisville. Bullet, as he’s called, is the top backup to Peyton Siva. He put up 2.4 points with 1 assist and 1 board in his time last year. He only made 36% from the field last year, including a poor 29% from deep. He only hit 59% from the line as well. On the plus side, he only turned the ball over 14 times. He’s going to have to step up the offense some, but it’s perfectly ok if he doesn’t turn the ball over.

Brandon Allen – Connecticut. Allen has come out of nowhere to become the backup point guard to Shabazz Napier. Allen got no scholarship offers out of prep school, so he walked on to UConn. His role seems many due to injury and scholarship limits, but it’s his role now. He got 14 minutes a game in the exhibition season. He only scored 3 points with 1 assist and 1 board. Napier is going to get a lot of the minutes, but if he’s in foul trouble or hurt, Allen is going to fill in. His role would disappear if Ryan Boatright gets cleared, so he gets ranked here.

John Johnson – Pittsburgh. Johnson was rated as the 127th best recruit by Scout, and 110 by NBE. He was a good shooter in high school, shooting 52%, and 39% from 3. His Pitt bio says he’s a streak shooter, so that’s probably very true. He played 16 minutes in the blowout exhibition, and 1 in the close game. Minutes might be hard to come by. The Pittsburgh backcourt is loaded. I wouldn’t be shocked if Johnson was a redshirt.

Sean Grennan – Seton Hall. Grennan is a Rivals 3 star PG. He put up over 1,400 points in high school. He originally wanted to go to Davidson, but was denied. To add to that misery, he had to have his appendix removed. That will probably delay the start of his Pirate career. He could be an 8th or 9th guy off the bench. Maybe getting some PG minutes if a hole opens up.

Anthony Collins – South Florida. Collins comes to USF as a 3 star recruit according to Rivals. He averaged 12, 8.3 assists and 3 steals a game in HS. He was being talked about for getting minutes at PG. Instead he got a big fat DNP in the exhibition opener. That makes me uneasy about ranking him any higher on the list.

Isaiah Epps – Pittsburgh. Epps is a redshirt freshman. He was a top 100 recruit coming out of high school. He is a lefty, which is always exciting for guards. His problem is going to be getting on the floor. Woodall and Gibbs are going to be hard to displace. Wright and Patterson seem to be the top reserves. He has only gotten 11 minutes in exhibition play.

Tim Henderson – Louisville. Henderson played 63 minutes last season, scoring 17 points with 11 rebounds. He was only 7 of 21 from the field. Can’t imagine he gets a ton of run unless Louisville is in foul trouble.

Ryan Boatright – Connecticut. Boatright is a top 40 recruit, and one of the highest rated PGs in the nation. He averaged 31 points a game. He’s expected to pick up the backup point guard role. The big problem with that is that he hasn’t been cleared by the NCAA just yet. That’s a pretty big issue considering that the season starts this weekend for UConn. That’s also why he’s near the bottom of this list instead of some spot higher.

Kiwi Gardner – Providence. Gardner was a 3 star recruit coming into this year. He put up big numbers, 23.7, 7 assists, 4 steals, 4 boards. It sounds like he would be a guy who would step right on the floor. But he’s got issues with the NCAA clearinghouse and is sitting on the bench. Since we don’t know when he will play, he gets ranked low.

Chris Carter – Providence. Carter has seen 17 minutes in the Friar exhibitions, but has not taken a shot. The Friars rolled 9 deep in their last game, and Carter played the 8th most minutes. Carter has scored 2 points in his career. 

Trevor Cooney – Syracuse. Cooney played about 6 and a half minutes in the exhibition games. He’s put up 8 shots in 13 minutes. Gunner.

Jamal White – St John’s. White earned a scholarship after being a walk on last season. He hasn’t played in the first two games.

Paul Williamson – West Virginia. Williamson is one of the most prolific scorers in West Virginia high school history. That means this invited walk on is going to get standing ovations at the end of games.

Dallas Ouano – Villanova. Ouano saw action in 3 games before dislocating his kneecap. He’s a Big East Academic All Star.

Tyree Graham – Rutgers. Graham had some tough luck with injuries last year. Hopefully he can get mop up minutes this year.

Nick Rivers – Pittsburgh. He’s played 29 minutes in his Panther career. All of them at the end of games.

Charlie Rigoglioso – Rutgers. Charlie played 1 minute during the exhibition game. He missed a shot. Too bad.

Griffin Hoffmann – Syracuse. Hoffman kind of seems like a douche. His name is Griffin and he dyed his hair blonde.

Mike Kuhn – Rutgers. Kuhn changed his jersey number to 44 this year.

Kyle Bailey – Connecticut. The senior has played in 11 games. His birthday is February 21. Send him a card.

Brandon Reese – Syracuse. He played in 11 games last year. 11 game club!

Aric Dickerson – West Virginia. Dickerson is a walk on. He’s not going to play a lot.

Joe Belcaster – DePaul. He’s played in 7 games. He was on the Big East All Academic team 1 year.

Nick Resavy – Syracuse. He played 1 minute in the exhibition games. He dropped a bucket. He’s got game.

PJ Cochrane – Connecticut. Cochrane seems like he’s on the team to boost it’s grades. He played 1 minute in the second exhibition game.

John Caprio – Georgetown. Caprio played in 4 games last year. He probably won’t play in much more than that this year, unless something goes horribly wrong.

Russ DeRemer – Syracuse. Russ was on the Big East All-Academic team. Cool.

Ted Bancroft – Providence. He sounds like he’s a character on a tv show. One of the notes in his bio is “played one other game against West Virginia.” That game happened in 2010.

John Snow – Seton Hall. Speaking of tv characters, John Snow from Game of Thrones!

Mike Murray – Providence. Murray is the wacky neighbor in Bancroft’s sitcom. His 2010-11 note is “played in 4 games.”

Peter Dill – Seton Hall. He played 4 games last year as well. 4 game club!

Edwind McGhee – DePaul. The walk on saw action in 9 games last year. We can probably pencil in a repeat.

Mark Jackson Jr – Louisville. He redshirted last year. He got 6 minutes in the exhibition games.

Nick McMahon – Villanova. McMahon was a practice player who is now on the roster. Nice job.

Nolan Hart – Syracuse. He hasn’t even gotten off the bench in the exhibition games. That doesn’t bode well.

Patrick Crowley – Notre Dame. From his bio “Biographical information coming soon!”  Yup.

Drew Bashen – St John’s. Bashen is the only player on the Red Storm with nothing in his bio. Sad for him.

Ethan Waite – Connecticut. There is no information anywhere about Ethan Waite. Nothing on his bio, no stats, nothing on TheUConnBlog. He’s a complete mystery. I’m not sure he’s actually real.