Point Guards

The theory would be that when what looks like a legendary class of PGs heads for the pros, there are going to be slim pickings left among the returning group. That's certainly the case for the 2010 returnees. Honestly, no player stands out as a good prospect among the returning NCAA PGs. I don't see any, with the possible exception of Walker, that I could even talk myself into at this point. No wonder we're all so excited for the debut of John Wall.

1. Kemba Walker, Connecticut: He probably was UConn's best PG last year, but because Price had played the position forever Walker had to wait in the wings. He put up some nice numbers for a combo. He needs to come in and prove he can be the full-time PG and he needs to start hitting treys more consistently. Even then he's undersized, but he's still the best of the bunch.
2. Greivis Vasquez, Maryland: His numbers are OK, but hardly the stuff lottery picks are made of. Mainly he has to become a more efficient scorer. His FG pct. was only .405 last year and he's never been a good 3-point shooter. If he can get his 3-point pct. up to .350 and his 2-point pct. to .500 while keeping everything else constant, he's a legit 1st-rounder.
3. Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga: He played a lot of PG for the first time in the 2nd-half of last season and fared pretty well. All his other numbers are solid, so he should be fine if he can handle it full time. His size is a concern. At 224 lbs I wonder if quickness will be a problem.
4. Talor Battle, Penn State: Not a bad little player. He needs to improve his percentages and he'll be right there as a prospect. Best pure PG in the big 10.
5. Devan Downey, South Carolina: I'd like to see him become more of a pass-first PG and less of a mad bomber. Or I'd at least like to see his scoring be done a little more efficiently. Of the 2 small guys on this list I like him a tad better than Randle because he's a better passer and defender. Randle is a better scorer.
   
6. Jerome Randle, California: He'll never be a full time NBA PG, but he's such a good scorer that I could see him developing into a decent bench guy. That's enough for 6th on this list.
   
7. Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas: He has a long way to go. Other than scoring efficiency, he comes up short everywhere. Collins was a better player last year, so it seems unlikely that Taylor will supplant him as PG. In addition frosh phenom Xavier Henry could push Taylor even further down in the Jayhawk pecking order. His opportunity may not happen until next year. As a tangent, I wonder why a player like Taylor would chose a program like Kansas, where competition for PT will be fierce. Why wouldn't he go to school where he would be handed the PG job out of the gate and have a better chance to grow into a star without getting caught in a numbers game?
   
8. Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech: He was going was OK last year, until a horrific shooting slump in March dumped his already marginal numbers in the toilet. He seems capable of getting back to where he was, which is a marginal prospect.
9. Kalin Lucas, Michigan State: Right now I'm struggling to find players. Lucas is worth mentioning, because he has some buzz elsewhere and he plays for a national power. His numbers are terrible though. Shoots less than .400 and his RSB40 is 4.0. In the mold of fellow Spartan Mateen Cleaves, he's a good college player.
   
10. Jon Scheyer, Duke: I mention Scheyer because I'm curious to see how he'll handle being a full-time PG. He's never been a high-assist guy, but his TOs have been low and he's been a very efficient scorer throughout his career, despite some low percentages. He's always been a solid defender too.