NCAA Basketball: Top 25 strongest backcourts for 2020-21 season
By Ian Mumm
NCAA Basketball has relied upon strong guard play, regardless of era, to reach success. This factor has become even more important with the changes to the current style of play.
We can thank Steph Curry’s incredible run with Davidson in the 2007-08 NCAA Basketball Tournament for changing the standards of how basketball is played. Curry vaulted the Wildcats into the Elite 8, despite losing this game, and finished the tournament by shooting an insane 50% from the perimeter.
It was not only his propensity to shoot from the perimeter that caught people’s attention but the distance with which he was comfortably knocking them down. His performances started a basketball revolution.
The game overall has transformed not only as a direct result of these nationally televised games, but also his continued awe-inspiring shooting in the NBA. Now the biggest names in basketball have worked tirelessly to expand their range and ball-handling to comfortably mix these shots into their repertoire.
The trickle-down effect has breached the college game, and not just amongst guards, as the next generations of stars have placed greater importance on adding reliable perimeter scoring to their skillsets.
These smaller shifts in playing styles have resulted in a greater reliance on guards and wings within typical college rotations. Coaches still place tons of emphasis on ball-control, rebounding, and defense, but the way teams score requires more of these players to be on the court at any one time compared to teams of the 90s. Versatility within backcourt positions has also created spin-off concepts like ‘small-ball lineups’ that can provide advantages for teams against slower and more traditional lineups.
The ‘new’ basketball has placed added emphasis on deep rotations of backcourt players to compete at the highest levels in the college game. Whether teams are able to follow Kentucky’s approach of securing massive amounts of one-and-done talent to accomplish this model or develop guys within their program for four years still requires on-court production to contend for the national championship.
Which programs enter the 2020-21 season with the best group of guards in the nation prepared to carry their teams to success?
Honorable Mentions
30. Miami Hurricanes – Chris Lykes, Earl Timberlake Jr., Elijah Olaniyi, Kameron McGusty, Isaiah Wong, Matt Cross, Harlond Beverly
29. Davidson Wildcats – Hyunjung Lee, Kellen Grady, Carter Collins, Luke Frampton, Mike Jones
28. Michigan Wolverines – Franz Wagner, Eli Brooks, Mike Smith, Isaiah Livers, Zeb Jackson
27. Arizona Wildcats – Jemarl Baker Jr., James Akinjo, Kerr Kriisa, Terrell Brown Jr., Bennedict Mathurin, Dalen Terry
26. Virginia Cavaliers – Kihei Clark, Carson McCorckle, Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Trey Murphy, Reece Beekman, Thomas Woldentensae, Casey Morsell