Top 100 Point Guards in the Modern Era

How would UT’s Daniel Gibson match-up with B.J. Armstrong? Or, for that matter, B.J. Tyler? Is Derek Raivio another Matt Santangelo or Blake Stepp or Dan Dickau? Ohio’s Jeremy Fears is a small school guy with some big school pub. Does that mean he’ll be the next Speedy Claxton?  With these questions in mind, Adam Stanco ranks the Top 100 Point Guards of the Modern Era.

TOP 100 POINT GUARDS IN THE MODERN ERA (1990 – 2005)

(all statistics are from the player’s final season)

20. Stephon Marbury (Georgia Tech, 1996) 18.9 ppg, 4.5 apg (3.2 tpg), 3.1 rpg, 1.8 spg, 46% FG, 88 3-FG

Explosive leader ranks among the most accomplished one-year players in NCAA history. Just the fifth freshman in conference history to be named First-Team All-ACC. Third-Team All-American, Wooden Award finalist, and All-ACC Tournament selection.

19. Andre Miller (Utah, 1999) 15.8 ppg, 5.6 apg (2.8 tpg), 5.4 rpg, 2.5 spg, 49% FG, 22 3-FG

Tough, defensive-minded guard who guided team to one NCAA Tournament final appearance and one Elite Eight appearance. Final Four All-Tournament Team selection after triple-double against Arizona in West Regional final. WAC Player of the Year. One-time First-Team All-American and one-time Honorable Mention All-American. Wooden Award finalist.

18. Chris Corchiani (NC State, 1991) 16.3 ppg, 9.6 apg (3.8 tpg), 2.5 rpg, 2.9 spg, 47% FG, 51 3-FG

Consisent performer and phenomenal distributor. Led nation in assists, ranks second on NCAA all-time career assists list (1038), and fourth on career assists per game (8.4 apg). Third-Team All-American selection.

17. Chris Paul (Wake Forest, 2005) 15.3 ppg, 6.6 apg (2.8 tpg), 4.5 rpg, 2.4 spg, 45% FG, 46 3-FG

Highly-efficient producer offensively and a lock-down force defensively. Played just two seasons, yet still earned First-Team All-American honors and was a finalist for the Wooden and Naismith Awards. Led conference in assist-to-turnover ration (2.4:1) and steals (2.4 spg). Two-time member of the All-ACC Defensive Team.

16. Damon Stoudamire (Arizona, 1995) 22.8 ppg, 7.3 apg (4.6 tpg), 4.3 rpg, 1.7 spg, 48% FG, 112 3-FG

Sweet-shooting lead guard who excelled at taking over games. First-Team All-American and Wooden Award finalist, and three-time All-Pac-10 selection. Guided Wildcats to two Pac-10 titles and one Final Four appearance. First player in Pac-10 history to lead the conference in scoring and assists.

15. Allen Iverson (Georgetown, 1996) 25.0 ppg, 4.7 apg (3.8 tpg), 3.8 rpg, 3.4 spg, 48% FG, 87 3-FG

Prolific scorer and tremendous competitor literally expanded John Thompson’s options as a coach. In just two seasons, he garnered First-Team All-American honors and two Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards. Wooden Award finalist. School record-holder for most single-season points (926), field goals made (312), 3-pt field goals made (87), steals (124) , and minutes played (1,214).

14. Mike Bibby (Arizona, 1998) 17.2 ppg, 5.7 apg (2.2 tpg), 3.0 rpg, 2.4 spg, 46% FG, 77 3-FG

Do-it-all guard scored, dished, and defended with equal proficiency, yet played just two seasons. Burst onto the national scene as a freshman, leading the Wildcats to the National Championship and picking up All-Southeast Regional honors along the way. Led another Wildcat team to the Elite Eight. Wooden Award finalist was a Pac-10 Player of the Year and a First-Team All-American.

13. Greg Anthony (UNLV, 1991) 11.6 ppg, 8.9 apg (1.9 tpg), 2.5 rpg, 2.4 spg, 46% FG, 45 3-FG

Transfer from Portland quarterbacked some the best college teams in the modern era, making two Final Four appearances and winning one National Championship. Dynamo distributor and top-notch defensive player. Two-time Honorable Mention All-American. Recorded 100 assists in NCAA Tournament play.

12. Keith Jennings (ETSU, 1991) 20.1 ppg, 9.1 apg (3.5 tpg), 3.9 rpg, 3.3 spg, 60% FG, 84 3-FG

Underappreciated, yet spectacular talent led the Buccaneers to three SoCon Championships and three NCAA Tournament berths. Second-team All-American and Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award winner. With over 20 ppg, 9 apg, 3 spg, and a national-best 59.2% 3-pt completion percentage, senior campaign remains one of the most remarkable seasons in NCAA history.

11. Jacque Vaughn (Kansas, 1997) 10.2 ppg, 6.2 apg (2.5 tpg), 2.4 rpg, 1.8 spg, 43% FG, 18 3-FG

Excellent passer and a true leader who always kept game at perfect pace. Two-time Wooden Award finalist. Two-time second-Team All-American. Big Eight Player of the Year. School’s all-time career assists leader.

10. Mateen Cleaves (Michigan State, 2000) 12.1 ppg, 6.9 apg (3.7 tpg), 1.8 rpg, 1.4 spg, 42% FG, 32 3-FG

Gutsy performer and tremendous leader. Statistics fail to show his true impact on games. Two-time Big Ten Player of the Year. Won NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Award after leading team to National Championship. One-time First-Team All-American selection and two Third-Team All-American selections. Wooden Award finalist. Big Ten’s All-Time career assists leader. Member of ESPN’s Big Ten Silver Anniversary Team.

9. T.J. Ford (Texas, 2003) 15.0 ppg, 7.7 apg (3.2 tpg), 3.9 rpg, 2.0 spg, 40% FG, 18 3-FG

Lightning-quick playmaker led Longhorns to their first Final Four in over 50 years. Played just two seasons, earning First-Team All-American honors as a sophomore and Honorable Mention acclaim as a freshman. Naismith, Wooden, Sports Illustrated, and The Sporting News College Player of the Year award winner. First freshman to ever lead the nation in assists per game (8.3 apg). Member of ESPN’s Big 12 Silver Anniversary Team.

8. Chris Jackson (Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) (LSU, 1990) 27.8 ppg, 3.2 apg (3.7 tpg), 2.5 rpg, 1.6 spg, 46% FG, 88 3-FG

Only stayed two seasons and wasn’t a traditional pass-first point guard, but was one of the most prolific collegiate scorers ever to play the position. Twice garnered First-Team All-American honors. Set freshman scoring records for points in a season (965), points scored in a game (55), and scoring average (30.2). Member of ESPN’s SEC Silver Anniversary Team.

7. Kenny Anderson (Georgia Tech, 1991) 25.9 ppg, 5.6 apg (3.8 tpg), 5.7 rpg, 3.0 spg, 44% FG, 65 3-FG

Truly exemplified skill set and craftsmanship of New York City point guard lineage. In just two seasons, he earned First-Team All-American acclaim and two Second-Team All-American selections by The Sporting News. More accomplished than Bobby Hurley through two seasons, he left school to become the youngest player in the NBA.

6. Jay Williams (Duke, 2002) 21.3 ppg, 5.3 apg (3.7 tpg), 3.5 rpg, 2.2 spg, 46% FG, 108 3-FG

Unstoppable offensive talent, he led the Blue Devils to a 95-13 record and a National Championship. Winner of the AP, Wooden, Naismith, and Chevrolet Player of the Year Awards. Two-time Wooden Award finalist. Two-time ACC scoring leader. Final Four All-Tournament team selection.

5. Anfernee Hardaway (Memphis, 1993) 22.8 ppg, 6.4 apg (3.4 tpg), 8.5 rpg, 2.4 spg, 48% FG, 73 3-FG

Multi-dimensional offensive game and a premier rebounder. After sitting out freshman year due to Prop-48 ruling, he was honored as the Great Midwest Conference Player of the Year in both of his seasons on campus. One-time First-Team All-American selection and a finalist for the Wooden and Naismith Awards. Member of ESPN’s Conference USA Silver Anniversary Team.

4. Jameer Nelson (St. Joseph’s, 2004) 20.6 ppg, 5.3 apg (2.8 tpg), 3.0 spg, 48% FG, 73 3-FG

Controlled games both offensively and defensively during his senior year and led the Hawks to an undefeated regular season. AP, Naismith, Wooden, Rupp, Robertson, and Chevrolet Award winner as the College Player of the Year. Earned A-10 Player of the Week honors eight times during his senior season. One-time First-Team All-American selection. Member of ESPN’s A-10 Silver Anniversary Team.

3. Jason Kidd (California, 1994) 16.7 ppg, 9.1 apg (4.3 tpg), 6.9 rpg, 3.1 spg, 47% FG, 51 3-FG

There has never been a better passer or defender to play point guard at the college level. Only drawback is that he only played two seasons. First-Team All-American selection and led the nation in assists. He broke the Pac-10 steals record as a freshman and was the first sophomore to earned Pac-10 Player of the Year honors. Wooden Award finalist.

2. Bobby Hurley (Duke, 1993) 17.0 ppg, 8.2 apg (3.4 tpg), 2.6 rpg, 1.5 spg, 42% FG, 88 3-FG

Picture-perfect point guard is the NCAA’s all-time assist leader. Possibly the best player in NCAA Tournament history, he led Blue Devils to two NCAA Championships and three appearances in the final game. Winner of tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award and two-time member of All-Tournament Team. One-time First-Team All-American selection and one-time Third-Team All-American selection.

1. Gary Payton (Oregon State, 1990) 25.7 ppg, 8.1 apg (3.7 tpg), 4.7 rpg, 3.4 spg, 50% FG, 52 3-FG

Truly dominant lead guard with no weaknesses. Sports Illustrated College Player of the Year honoree. Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. Led Beavers to one Pac-10 Championship, three 20-win seasons, three NCAA Tournament appearances, and one NIT appearance. Three-time All-Pac-10 selection and a member of the Pac-10 All-Decade Team. One-time First-Team All-American selection. Finished second on the NCAA all-time career assists and steals lists. All-time leading scorer in school history. Wooden Award runner-up.

Top 100 PG's #21-40

Top 100 PG's #41-60

Top 100 PG's #61-80

#81-100, Introduction