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NCAA Hoops: Top Shooting Guards
There are guys who make shots, and then there are shooters. Players who the opposition have to account for. In the half-court set these guys distort defenses – top defenders grab the assignment in the man-to-man, and zones shade to their side. Enter the shooting guards.
Steve Curry -Sophomore/Davidson – 25.8 ppg / FG 49% / 3Pt. 43%. Don’t be fooled into thinking that Curry has feasted off a weak Southern Conference schedule. Earlier this season the sophomore dropped 15 against UCLA, 24 vs. UNC, 20 against Duke, and 29 vs. NC State.
Brian Roberts - Senior/Dayton – 19ppg / FG 49% / 3Pt. 44%. Plays his best in the big games. Versus Louisville Roberts led the Flyers to 70-65 win with 28 points – against Pitt Roberts drained five of eight three pointers while scoring 31.
Eric Gordon - Freshman/Indiana – 21.7ppg / FG 47% / 3Pt. 40%. Possesses a deadly combination of range with the ability to go off the dribble. Not afraid to drive and dish – 2.5 assists per game.
AJ Graves - Senior/Butler – 13.8ppg / FG 37% / 3Pt. 35%. Look beyond the numbers. Graves draws double teams night in and night out. Has still managed some big games: 25 versus Florida St. and 18 against Texas Tech. Has scored in double figures in six straight games.
DeMarcus Nelson - Senior/Duke – 15.5ppg / FG 50% / 3Pt. 41%. For three years Nelson was known as a slasher whose game could easily be taken away because he couldn’t knock down a jumper. Not true any more. Has as much athleticism as anyone in the country. Now if he could just hit his free throws.
13 Responses to “NCAA Hoops: Top Shooting Guards”
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What about Kyle McAlarney of ND (junior)?
15.1 ppg, FG 44%, 3 pt 45%
Don’t know that Graves of Butler makes this list. He’s a heckuva player on a very good team, but he’s below 40% accuracy on both measures. Mike Green is the best player on Butler, IMO.
Wally
Wally,
Are you on the McAlarney family payroll?
Numbers don’t always tell the whole story (if they did the Patriots won 18 in a season – more than any team in history). Graves draws more attention thus his numbers are affected. Chris Lofton at Tenn has better numbers, but I didn’t include him on the list. Many of his field goals are layups as the result of the Volunteers pressure defense. Even better Chris Douglas-Roberts at Memphis. He is averaging 17.5 ppg – 54.4%FG & 45.6% 3Pt. He benefits from a very proficient overall offensive scheme. Graves doesn’t appear to have the same benefit.
Casey
K-Mac is a legit outside bomber … hardly any lay-ups.
Graves & Butler don’t quite play the difficult conference schedule faced by the teams in “major conferences”.
You’re right … numbers can lie. But we cannot dispute that the Pats won 18 game this season … that’s a fact. Opinion is that 6 of ‘em were outright gimmees given the AFC Least’s roll-over-and-die competitive balance. And too bad those Pats lost the most important game of the season, eh? that’s also a fact.
Wally,
You are right K-Mac is an outside bomber. But who makes a defense adjust more? McAlarney or Harangoudy? For Butler – Graves or Green? That was part of my premise – who draws more attention from the opponent’s defense and therefore opens up the game for teammates.
Before you conclude that the Big East’s ‘major conference’ schedule is more difficult, consider that Rhode Island, UMass, Dayton, and Xavier are a combined 9-0 versus the Big East.
Another spin on numbers: 1981 -
Walter Payton 339 rushes for 1222yds. 3.6 per carry
Tony Dorsett 342 rushes for 1646yds. 4.8 per carry. Does that mean Tony D. was a better running back?
Smooches,
Casey
Yes … in ’81, I think Dorsett was a better RB than Payton for that season
4.8 per carry back then was a helluvan average.
Wally
So it is true weird things do happen the night of a lunar eclipse.
Casey
I got whiplash from watching the tennis match between Wally and Casey.. Ooops, Wally doesn’t think much of tennis.
Point… Casey.
We need more comments. Muels is still on the board, He won’t comment again until his most recent has been removed.
Casey
That’s a good list! With the exception of the Dookie
Duke fans (Casey) … what’s going on with the Blue Devils?!?!? 2 ACC losses in a row …. 5 players fouling out the other night … has Coach K stopped paying the refs? WHAT IS GOING ON?!?!?!
Wally
Hey, I forgot about Jerryd Bayless! He can score!!!
Yeah – I have not had a chance to see Bayless…YET! I am finding a nice aspect of this post is the number of players being brought to my attention.
ncaahoops -
Bayless canning twenty in the second half against Washington St. is pretty impressive. Especially when you consider the cougars defense.
Casey