Why Importance of PG in College Hoops is So Great

[DOM_Toretto]

I cannot over emphasize the importance of the point guard position in college basketball. It truly is the "quarterback" of the sport. I was thinking about it last night, and remembered the teams I had serious doubts about before the season started due to unsteady PG play, and the teams with the best PGs in the country, and the blatant difference between how they're doing so far midway through the season.

Teams Lacking True PG:
Team / record / conf. record
Duke / 14-4 / 2-3
Pitt / 12-7 / 1-5
Texas / 7-11 / 1-5
Indiana / 13-6 / 3-3
Texas A&M / 9-8 / 1-5
Vanderbilt / 8-10 / 2-4
Oklahoma / 8-9 / 2-4
Providence / 13-7 / 3-4
Oregon St / 4-14 / 0-5

Teams with Arguably Top 5 PG
Team / record / conf. record
Kansas / 16-1 / 6-0
Gonzaga / 17-0 / 5-0
UCLA / 18-1 / 5-1
Kentucky / 15-2 / 6-0
UNC / 17-3 / 5-1
Creighton / 17-1 / 5-1 (Mo Watson just went down for the season though)
Villanova / 18-1 / 6-1
Wisconsin / 14-3 / 4-1
Florida St / 17-2 / 5-1
Iowa State / 11-6 / 3-3 (lost most of team from last year but Morris remains a top PG)

[DOM_Toretto]

When you look at the last 10 years of NCAA Championship teams, they pretty much all had elite point guards, with the exception of a couple elite NBA-level front courts:

Ryan Arcidiacono
Tyus Jones
Shabazz Napier
Peyton Siva
Marquis Teague (Anthony Davis)
Kemba Walker
Jon Scheyer
Ty Lawson
Mario Chalmers
Taurean Green (Joakim Noah, Al Horford)

[readytowinem]

Yup...

With the zone defense it is important to have a good pg to help break it down.

[unde0087]

This is why I was having a hard time believing Ville covers +7.5 against Clemson without Snyder.

[johnnyvegas13]

My thinking is at college level kids don't have the awareness to win w/o a good pg leading the show

in NBA the big and midsize players r much smarter

I've seen draympnd green play pgfor gs half the game and win

[readytowinem]

It's the Zone D. Good guard play breaks down the zone. Without it teams end up forcing bad shots or poor passes that end up turnovers.

[xdodger19]

example is gary payton jr beavers are just not the same

impressive guard play for Razorbacks Peacocks