NCAA Basketball: Ranking the top 25 team backcourts for 2022-23 season

One of the best returning guards in NCAA Basketball is Jordan “Jelly” Walker of the Blazers. The Tulane transfer was last season’s Conference USA Player of the Year, averaging 20.3 ppg and 4.9 apg en route to leading the team to the NCAA Tournament.

Some highlights of Walker’s best games include 36 points at Louisiana Tech, 10 points and 12 assists against Rice, 40 points in the conference tournament versus Middle Tennessee in triple-overtime, and a career-high 42 points in a win over Middle Tennessee as well.

UAB has a new supporting cast of guards to surround Walker, led by LSU transfer Eric Gaines. As a sophomore, the 6’5 guard averaged 9.0 ppg and 2.9 apg in 27 mpg off the bench, including a stretch in the middle of the season where he was producing 14 ppg. At the Conference USA level, Gaines could blossom in a similar way that Walker did.

Two other incoming transfers coming in also will have an impact, starting with Tyler Bertram. He averaged 9.0 ppg last season but also shot 39% from three-point range. Plus, there’s Ledarrius Brewer, who led East Tennessee State with 14.6 ppg and has been a double-digit scorer in all four NCAA Basketball seasons. His brother, Tyron Brewer, will have an impact in the frontcourt but the trio of Ledarrius, Gaines, and Walker may be the best non-Gonzaga mid-major backcourt in the country next year.