230-221 PG's
230. Marcellus Barksdale-IUPUI (Junior)/9.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 39% FGP, 25.5% Three Point, 1.09 Assist-Turnover Ratio- Another point-shooting guard hybrid to make the list, Marcellus Barksdale has great size at the point. At 6-5, 210, it's not surprise Barksdale can get to the line with ease (3.7 free throw attempts per game), and can usually convert at the line (73%). He's not a great shooter (25.5% Three Point), and doesn't have an excellent Assist-Turnover ratio, but when IUPUI needed a basket at the end of the game, the ball would almost always be in Barksdale's hands. If he starts to move away from the outside shot and focus more on dribble penetration, Barksdale could have a huge senior season, possibly taking IUPUI to a postseason tournament.
229. Kory Holden-Delaware (Freshman)/12.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 5 apg, 39.5% FGP, 37.5% Three Point, 1.51 Assist-Turnover Ratio- Kory Holden has a lot of things going for him. Delaware may have had a down year, but fans should be excited for next season with this stud guard returning. For starters, he has excellent size at the point. He stands at 6-2, and weighs a respectable 175 pounds. He uses that size to get to the line (4.7 attempts per game, 75.6% Free Throw Percentage) and create his own shot (12.4 ppg). Another underrated aspect of his game is his outside shooting. He prefers to help his teammates (5 apg), but hit 0.8 of his 2.2 outside attempts per game, good for 37.5%. With a couple key seniors leaving the Blue Hens roster, look for this guy to have a massive 2015-16 season.
228. TJ Williams-Northeastern (Sophomore)/9.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.2 apg, 45.6% FGP, 34.6% Three Point, 1.45 Assist-Turnover Ratio- TJ Williams would have been a few spots higher in the list if he performed better down the stretch. A solid 10-4-4 guy all year long, Williams really struggled in the CAA Tournament and NCAA Tournament, averaging just 4.8 ppg and 2.6 apg in his final five games. Still, a season can't be defined by just five games. The Texas native showed flashes of potential in his freshman season, but was never really quite able to put it all together. His sophomore season was different. He improved in a lot of key categories including scoring (up 2.7 points), assists (up 1.2), and three point percentage (up.07%). Still, his underlying free throw struggles (60%) will need to improve if he hopes to take the next step in 2015-16.
227. Noah Robotham-Akron (Freshman)/9.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.3 apg, 38.7% FGP, 36% Three Point, 1.22 Assist-Turnover Ratio- Here's another guy that didn't play a full season in 2014-15. A knee injury sidelined him for the rest of the year late in the season, February 23rd to be exact. The five games prior to the injury, Robotham was really starting to gain confidence. He averaged 11 ppg and 4.4 apg in his final five games of the year. A "true point guard," Robotham preferred to pass the ball rather than score. That isn't evident in his 3.3 assists per game (decent, but not great number), but if you watched this guy play, you would know what I meant. The only complaint I have for Robotham is sometimes he tries to involve his teammates too much, not looking for his own shot. He's a great shooter from the three and the midrange, and he'll need to start taking over games more next year with a lot of talent leaving the Akron Zips roster.
226. Emmett Naar-Saint Mary's (Freshman)/6.3 ppg, 2 rpg, 3.9 apg, 39.4% FGP, 44.9% Three Point, 1.95 Assist-Turnover Ratio- Confidence is the name of the game for freshman guard Emmett Naar moving forward. He has a lot of physical tools working for him. He has good size (6-1, 195), is quick, and has a great outside shooting stroke (44.9%). Problem is he only attempted 2.6 threes in 28.1 minutes of action per game. For a Saint Mary's team that wasn't great from outside, 2.6 attempts just simply isn't enough. His 1.95 assist-turnover ratio is a remarkable number for a freshman, especially considering this was Naar's first season of American basketball (grew up in New South Wales). A player wise beyond his years on the court (3.9 assists per game), he just has to start shooting more in the upcoming seasons to move up the list.
225. Shivaughn Wiggins-Coastal Carolina (Sophomore)/10 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.3 apg, 45.5% FGP, 34.75% Three Point, 2.75 Assist-Turnover Ratio- Here's another guy that really hurt his rank with his questionable play down the stretch. In his final five games of the season (Big South Tournament + NCAA Tournament) he averaged only 7.2 ppg and 3.4 apg. Those numbers would be a lot worse too if it wasn't for a solid 11 point, 7 assist performance against UNC Asheville in the opening round of the tournament. Still, his work as a point guard for this rock solid Coastal Carolina team was great all year long. He did everything a point guard should. He had a great assist-turnover ratio, hit free throws (70.8%), didn't force up any bad shots, and could score when necessary. It should also be noted that he got to the line 4.7 times per game, not a bad number for a 5-11 guard. Moving forward, he should continue to evolve, but not move away from his instincts at the PG slot.
224. Pee Wee Gardner-American (Senior)/10.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.9 apg, 45.8% FGP, 43.4% Three Point, 1.5 Assist-Turnover Ratio- This was not the season Gardner or American University was expecting to have coming into the season. With a ton of returning talent from last year's NCAA Tournament team, the Eagles were the heavy favorites to take the Patriot League title. And although Gardner saw his numbers dip a bit from last year, he was still one of the best point guards in the Patriot, earning an all-Patriot League second team honor to go along with his first team honor from the 2013-14 campaign. As a point guard, Gardner does a lot of things well. His shooting ability (43.4% from outside), more than makes up for his lack of size, while his 3.9 assists per game show he loves to share the ball as well. He doesn't get to the line often, but can make free throws when necessary (74.2%). The NBA doesn't really have a spot for a guy like Gardner to succeed, but his basketball smarts and shooting ability should be able to make him some money overseas.
223. Max Guercy-Rice (Junior)/9.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.5 apg, 38.1% FGP, 27.9% Three Point, 1.73 Assist-Turnover Ratio- Guercy is an interesting junior. Throughout his three years at Rice, he's really transformed as a player. When he came in his freshman season, a rather unknown guard out of California, he turned heads with his scoring ability from inside (40.8% FGP), and outside (36.8% Three Point). However, he wasn't a great leader of his team. He only dished out 2.5 assists per game, while turning it over 2.1 times. That's not a great ratio for a point guard. Now a junior, Guercy has grown as a point guard, but has lessened as a scorer. He averages more points, sure, but his field goal percentage dropped to 38.1%, and his outside shot is no longer a big part of his game (27.9%). If Guercy can put the two together (freshman season, junior season), his senior year could be something special.
222. Andre Smith-Winthrop (Senior)/11.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.3 apg, 37.3% FGP, 34% Three Point, 2.26 Assist-Turnover Ratio- Andre Smith's growth as a DI point guard is simply astounding. He came into his freshman season looking to put numbers on the board. He shot 32.7% from the field in his freshman season, while only dishing out 1.3 assists per game. It wasn't shocking that Coach Randy Peele played him for only 13.7 minutes per game. However, the Eagles leaned on him a lot more in his sophomore season. His MPG numbers jumped all the way to 32.1 per game. Still, his passing (2.2 apg), and field goal percentage really struggled. By his fourth and final year at Winthrop, he had turned into a great point guard. His 2.26 assist-turnover ratio was one of the best in the conference, and his 11.3 points per game were a career high. His inability to create his own shot is a dealbreaker for NBA scouts, but he should be able to find teams that want him overseas.
221. Jourdan Grant-UMBC (Freshman)/8.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4 apg, 37.4% FGP, 22.4% Three Point, 1.21 Assist-Turnover Ratio- This may seem like an odd choice, but I really like this kid's game. Practically unknown coming out of high school, Grant grew up in Grant, Maryland, not a big basketball town. However, his knack for the point guard position as just a freshman is just flat out impressive. He's constantly looking to make his teammates better, something all good point guards try to do. He dished out a team 4 assists per game, while also grabbing 4.6 rebounds per game. With his large frame (6-2, 180), and ability to attack the lane with ease (3.9 free throw attempts per game), he'll need to improve on his dismal free throw shooting if he hopes to take the next step as a player. If he can consistently make free throws (at least 70%), and add an outside shot to his game, this guy will be a force to be reckoned with in the America East next season.
Men's Basketball's Top 250 Point Guards of 2014-2015
