NCAA Basketball: Michigan State, Kentucky among best backcourts for 2019-20

As a former point guard myself, I love evaluating perimeter talent. With no further ado, let’s dive into the five best NCAA Basketball backcourts for 2019-20.

Backcourts are a pivotal part of NCAA Basketball teams having success not only in the regular season but also once March Madness arrives. The national champion Virginia Cavaliers were led by Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome on the perimeter, while fellow Final Four participants Texas Tech and Auburn were also fueled by strong guard play as well.

So how do all the backcourts look for the upcoming NCAA Basketball season? Here are five teams in particular who I’m very high on. Some notable backcourts for 2019-20 include:

Maryland: Anthony Cowan and Eric Ayala
Villanova: Bryan Antoine and Colin Gillespie
Duke: Tre Jones and Cassius Stanley
Kansas: Devon Dotson and Isaiah Moss
North Carolina: Cole Anthony and Rechon Black
Seton Hall: Myles Powell and Quincy McKnight

Michigan State

NPOY candidate Cassius Winston returns for a loaded Michigan State squad that many have ranked as their pre-season #1. Winston has that “it” factor that comes with experience and is the unquestioned leader of this team. Fellow senior, Josh Langford, played only 13 games last season before suffering an ankle injury but averaged an efficient 15 ppg in those games, while shooting 40% from three. What most folks remember is the emergence of Aaron Henry and Gabe Brown during Langford’s absence and both are back, along with 5-star freshman, Rocket Watts. What makes Michigan State so dangerous is the incredible depth they have. Pair that with Tom Izzo, and you have a juggernaut of a backcourt in East Lansing.

Marquette

Some may call this is a homer pick, but Markus Howard is no joke. The senior point guard dropped 53 on Creighton last year, and his 25 ppg average is tops amongst returnees in the Big East conference. Howard is one of the few guys in America that can go on double-digit runs by himself. No one player is more valuable to his team in division one college basketball. Joining Howard will be Koby McEwen, who sat out last year per NCAA transfer rules after leaving Utah State. McEwen averaged 15 ppg a game in two seasons there and brings an attacking style of play to Milwaukee that should complement Howard’s outside shooting well. Don’t sleep on McEwen; at  6’4″ he can guard multiple positions, averaged more than five rebounds per game in each of his two seasons at Utah State, and should be on NBA scouts’ radar.

Kentucky

Ashton Hagans could’ve turned pro but decided to return to Lexington for his sophomore campaign. Hagans is physically gifted and a stellar defender; if he can consistently knock down perimeter jump shots, he could be an elite player.  Fellow sophomore Immanuel Quickley was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school and should see additional minutes with the departure of first-round pick Tyler Herro. Joining the sophomore duo will be dynamic freshman scorer, Tyrese Maxey, who many expect to start alongside Hagans. With John Calipari’s history of developing young talent, the sky’s the limit for these three.

Florida

Andrew Nembhard was a model of consistency last year, starting all 36 games and showcasing an advanced maturity for a freshman floor general. Fellow sophomore Noah Locke is the team’s top returning scorer (9.4 ppg). On paper, Florida may seem like a reach here, but there are two major reasons to believe. Freshman recruit Scottie Lewis is a McDonald’s All-American and freak athlete that will look to dunk on just about anybody. Add him to this group, and have a 3-headed monster with skill sets that should play well together. While we’re evaluating backcourts, it would be foolish not to state the obvious: Nembhard, Locke, and Lewis will all be better with the addition of graduate transfer big man, Kerry Blackshear. Blackshear looked like a first-team All-American in last year’s NCAA tournament, and his presence and experience will elevate the play around him. Look for Florida to challenge for the SEC East title.

Arizona

Nico Mannion may look like Carrot Top, but his game does the talking. The freshman floor general, along with fellow McDonald’s All-American, Josh Green, will take the ball from day one for Arizona. Green competed in the 2018 Nike Hoops Summit as a junior and stood out amongst several players now in the NBA. Add graduate transfer Max Hazzard to the mix, and this is a scary group that’s going to shoot a lot of three’s.