2009-2010 College Basketball Season Preview: Shooting Guards

The season is fast approaching. The first games are on Nov. 9th, and the BIAH live blog during ESPN's season kickoff is just two weeks away. So with just a week until actual games are played, we figured the best way to finish up our 2008-2009 season previews is to give you our Top 10 players at each position. You know how much we love a good Top 10 list here.

A few caveats. First, we're talking about how good these guys are as college players, not how well they project as a pro. Second, while it may be too much power for me, I am making the executive decision on what "position" a player is (and it may not necessarily be what he is listed as on a roster). Third, I am not putting the freshman in the list. As much as I've read about these guys and as many Youtube clips as I have watched, I have yet to see many of them play a real game (the all-star games don't count), and I don't think that I could give an accurate assessment until I see them play. Lastly, I love me a good argument, so if you think someone is too low or too high or the wrong position, leave a comment and let me hear about it.

Here are the point guards.
These are the shooting guards.

Best Freshman:

• Avery Bradley, Texas
• Kenny Boynton, Florida
• Xavier Henry, Kansas
• Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati

Best of the Rest:

• Elliot Williams, Memphis
• Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
• Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State
• William Buford, Ohio State
• Steven Gray, Gonzaga
• Denis Clemente, Kansas State
  

Top 10

• 10. Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas: Taylor is not on this list for the numbers he is going to put up. That would be impossible playing on a team as talented as Kansas this year. But Taylor may be the best team player in the country. He's no stranger to talented teams - his St. Anthony's High School team sent seven kids to D1 schools. Taylor's biggest strength is his intelligence on the court. He makes good decisions with the ball, is an excellent passer (especially feeding the post), and is as good of a defender as you will find at the position. Offensively, he has yet to really show the country what he can do. He picks his spots well, so don't be surprised if Taylor has a couple games where he goes for 25 this year.
  


• 9. Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati: At 6'1", 195 lb, Vaughn is built like a running back, but it isn't his physical tools that make him special. Vaughn can flat out score the ball. He is a streaky shooter, but when he gets hot he can go for 30 on a given night. Vaughn also has the quickness and the handle to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. Simply put, Vaughn has all the skills you could ask for in a scoring guard. The problem the last two seasons has been his supporting cast, as Vaughn was not only asked to be the team's point guard, but to also be the team's only true perimeter threat. With Cashmere Wright back from injury and Lance Stephenson joining the team, he now has that. Don't expect Vaughn's scoring numbers to shoot through the roof, as the addition of Wright and Stephenson will reduce his shots, but do expect to see a better Cincinnati team and a much more efficient Deonta Vaughn.
  


• 8. Jerome Dyson, UConn: Dyson was the overlooked guy on the UConn Huskies last season. With Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet inside, and AJ Price running the show, people forgot about Dyson. It didn't help that he missed the end of the season with a knee injury either. But Dyson is a star in the making. With athleticism to burn, Dyson is at his best when he is slashing to the rim and making plays in the full court. He can knock down a three when he is left open, but his slow release makes it difficult for him to get his shot off at times. The faster tempo that UConn is going to play at this season will fit in perfectly with Dyson's skill set as he is a terror in the passing lanes and always a threat to posterize a defender on a break.

Jerome Dyson will make quite a few posters this season.
(photo credit: daylife)

• 7. E'Twaun Moore, Purdue: Moore isn't a flashy player. He isn't going to wow you with cross overs or dunks. He isn't going to take over games on the offensive end. What Moore does is play a very controlled game. He isn't going to blow by his defender every time down court, but when it is there he can get to the rim. He isn't a gunner, but he is a good enough shooter that you have to contest it (although his shooting numbers dipped quite a bit last season). He's a good passer, a good rebounder, and a very good defender. And to top it off, he has led Purdue in scoring in his first two seasons. He may not be the most athletically gifted at the position, but you would be hard-pressed to find a two guard in the country better suited for the system they play in.
  


• 6. Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga: I love Matt Bouldin's game. He is such a heady, fundamental player. Playing on Gonzaga's most talented team last season, Bouldin was forced into a bit of a complimentary role. But that was more of a result of his all-around ability than a lack of ability. Bouldin can shoot, he can handle the ball, he can penetrate and kick, he can defend - there really isn't a weakness to his game, except for maybe a lack of ideal explosiveness out of a two guard. We shall see this season if he can develop into a star. If he does, don't be surprised if he wins a WCC player of the year award and Gonzaga makes another NCAA Tournament.
  


• 5. Terrico White, Ole Miss: The Rebels caught a devastating case of the injury bug last season, as they had three back court guys go down early with season ending knee injuries. While it put quite a damper on their season, the blessing in disguise was it allowed Andy Kennedy to see what he had in freshman Terrico White. White is an athlete, but he relied a bit too much on that athleticism a year ago. He also had trouble with shot selection and decision making on the offensive end, but a big reason for that was the fact he was forced to play a lot of minutes in a de facto lead guard role with Chris Warren out. Now that Warren is healthy, White will be able to move off the ball, where he shined this summer with the U19 team.
  


• 4. Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech: Delaney has put up impressive numbers during his first two seasons with the Hokies, but playing behind guys like AD Vassallo and Deron Washington kept his profile to a minimum. Don't doubt him though, because Delaney can play. He will likely handle the ball quite a bit this year for Seth Greenburg, but Delaney's at his best when he is looking to score. He is a dead eye three point shooter when he is open, but he has a tendency to force it a bit, although some of that is a result of Tech having a limited number of playmakers. If he can mature a bit in his decision making and shot selection, Delaney has the potential to be a lethal scorer this year.

Malcolm Delaney is a name you will hear a lot of this season.
(photo credit: flickr)

• 3. Isaiah Thomas, Washington: Thomas played a lot of minutes as Washington's point guard last season, but with the addition of Abdul Gaddy to run the show, Thomas will slide over to the off guard spot. Off the ball is where Thomas should be more effective as he is a natural scorer. He is at his best when he is using the bounce to penetrate. He has a tight handle and a tremendous first step, which makes him a nightmare to try and defend. That ability will be magnified as he will be playing in a Washington system that will allow him countless opportunities in the open court. Thomas's diminutive size is his biggest weakness. Standing just 5'9", he was inconsistent as a perimeter shooter when he had a hand in his face, but in the lane it is less of an issue as he has an advanced in-between game - he has an excellent floater and knows how to uses body contact to create space between himself and his defender.
  


• 2. James Anderson, Oklahoma State: Anderson is first and foremost a shooter. His entire offensive repertoire is based on his catch and shoot ability from deep. An excellent athlete, Anderson is also able to use one or two dribbles and elevate over defenders in the mid-range. Where he struggles is with his ball-handling. He is very much a straight line dribbler without the ability to change direction or change speed. While it may be tough to top the 18.2 ppg he posted last season, if he improved this aspect of his game in the off-season, Anderson will be a much more complete player.

Willie Warren and James Anderson will compete for the Big XII scoring crown.
(photo credit: kfor.com)

• 1. Willie Warren, Oklahoma: Warren struggled at the beginning of his freshman campaign, but by the end of the year many considered him a lottery pick. Warren is a fantastic athlete, but what makes him so dangerous is his exceptional scoring instincts. With a quick first step, the ability the change gears and change directions, great body control in the lane, and the explosiveness to finish above the rim, it isn't hard to see that Warren was built to score. The fact that he can handle the ball (he played a lot of point last season for the Sooners) and shoot it from deep (he struggled to start the year, but shot 38% in Big XII play) only makes him more dangerous. With Tommy Mason-Griffin headed to Norman, Warren will be allowed to move off the ball where he can focus on, what else, scoring.
  

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2009-2010 Team Preview: Cincinnati Bearcats

2008-2009 Record: 18-14, 8-10 Big East (t-9th)

Key Losses: Mike Williams (9.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg), Alvin Mitchell (6.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg)

Key Returners: Deonta Vaughn (15.3 ppg, 4.7 apg), Yancy Gates (10.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg), Dion Dixon (7.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg)

Newcomers: Lance Stephenson, Ibrahima Thomas, Cashmere Wright

Senior Deonta Vaughn will lead the Bearcats in '09-'10.
(photo credit: ESPN)

Mick Cronin's 2009-2010 Bearcat team will be by far the most talented in his four years at Cincinnati. It starts with senior Deonta Vaughn, a potential first round pick who just may be the best player in the Big East you've never heard of. Vaughn is an explosive scorer (15.7 ppg for his career) whose offense is based around his ability to hit the three. When he gets hot, going for 30 is not an uncommon occurence. But he isn't just a shooter; Vaughn is able to put the ball on the floor and either get to the rim or draw an extra defender and find an open man.

Vaughn's numbers dipped quite a bit during his junior season, however (17.3 ppg to 15.3 ppg; 40% 3's to 34% 3's; 1.36 pps to 1.22 pps). Thanks to an injury to Cashmere Wright, a freshman who was expected to start at the point, Vaughn was forced to play out of position - he is much more effective as a scorer when he can play off the ball. The other issue was there really was not another player on the Bearcats that opponents had to be afraid of on the perimeter. Every night, he would face defenses completely geared towards slowing him down.

That will change this year. Not only is Wright returning from injury, but the Bearcats also added all-world recruit Lance Stephenson to the mix. I know that Stephenson is a freshman, but he already is as talented a scorer as there is in the country; he's the all-time leading in points scored in the state of New York. There may not be a more potent 1-2 punch in the country, let alone in the Big East. The Bearcats will also have a lot of back court depth, as juniors Larry Davis and Rashad Bishop, sophomore Dion Dixon, and freshman Sean Kilpatrick will all compete for minutes.

As ridiculous as it may sound, Wright may be the most valuable of the three starting guards. There really is not another point guard on the Bearcat roster. Sure, Vaughn can slide over and do a serviceable job, but having your senior leader playing out of position (especially on a team with this much talent) is less than ideal. Wright was a top 100 recruit before hurting his knee, but he will be entering into this season with no college basketball experience after rehabbing a knee for a year. So while he probably will take a while to get back to his pre-injury form, the Bearcats will not need much more out of Wright than to avoid turnovers and get the ball to Stephenson and Vaughn in places where they can score.

Up front Cinci will be strong as well. Yancy Gates, a sophomore who entered Cincinnati with a lot of hype but had an up-and-down first season, could be headed for a breakout year. He is a load to handle on the block and when he goes to the glass hard, but he was incredibly inconsistent finishing in and around the basket. The biggest issue is that Gates is a bit of a head case, allowing his emotions to get the best of him at times. They do lose Mike Williams, a workhorse in the paint who decided not to apply for a fifth year of eligibility, but senior Steve Toyloy should be more than ready to fill in his shoes.

The x-factors up front will be seven foot junior Anthony McClain and 6'11" transfer Ibrahima Thomas. Thomas averaged 8.3 ppg and 3.9 rpg in seven games with Oklahoma State last year before he decided to transfer. He will be eligible to play after the fall semester ends, and his ability to hit shots from the perimeter could make him an excellent compliment to Gates on the inside. McClain has all the length in the world, but he has yet to prove he has the strength, coordination, and ability to be a significant factor at this level.

I do foresee one major problem. Stephenson and Vaughn are both volume shooters, meaning they take a lot of shots. Will there be enough shots for both of them? Will Stephenson be able to defer to the senior Vaughn, or vice versa if Stephenson turns out to be an all-american at this level? If Gates continues to develop, will he be able to handle being the third or fourth option?

Outlook: With just Deonta Vaughn and Lance Stephenson on the roster, the Bearcats could probably make a run at the NCAA tournament. But if Cashmere Wright is healthy and effective, and Yancy Gates is a threat in the post, Cincinnati might be the third best team in the Big East. I don't think a 25 win season and a trip to the Sweet 16 is out of the question if Stephenson and Vaughn are able to co-exist. But with the number of volatile personalities on this roster, Mick Cronin will have his work cut out for him.

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