240-231 PG's
240. Khalil Davis-Austin Peay (Junior)/9.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 35.1% FGP, 29.6% Three Point, 1.13 Assist-Turnover Ratio- Starting off the next entry to the Top 250 Point Guard's list is junior guard Khalil Davis, the point guard for Austin Peay. His numbers aren't overly impressive, but his style of play is excellent. He's really smart with the basketball. This doesn't show on paper (2.6 apg, 2.3 tpg), but his ability to attack the bucket (5.2 free throw attempts per game) comes up huge down the stretch in tight games. When your point guard can attack the basket and draw fouls, it takes the pressure off big time shots. With leading scorer Chris Horton returning for his senior season, I can't wait to watch this inside out-duo dominate the OVC next season.
239. TJ Taylor-North Texas (Senior)/8.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 42.6% FGP, 34.1% Three Point, 1.04 Assist-Turnover Ratio- This is another guy who's stats don't give his performance on the court justice. The juco transfer wasn't the best offensive player on North Texas, that honor would go to Jordan Williams. But what he did do very well was defend the ball. His large frame (6-3, 215) made it tough to go over him, while his surprisingly quick feet made it tough to go past him. Put the two together, and you have one of the best defensive players in the C-USA. Also, in late game situations, he was the guy to get the ball to. He didn't always take the shot, but he would usually find the right guy to get it to. The Mean Green had one of their best seasons in recent memory, and TJ Taylor was a huge part of that.
238. Martin Hermansson-LIU Brooklyn (Freshman)/10.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.3 apg, 39.1% FGP, 27.5% Three Point, 1.37 Assist-Turnover Ratio- LIU Brooklyn had a down year, but they do have hope for the future as long as Martin Hermansson is around. The Iceland native showed a ton of potential in his freshman season. He showed he could get to the line (4 attempts per game), hit jumpers, and pass the rock (3.3 assists per game). The only part of his game that didn't carry over from Iceland was his outside shooting. He shot fine across the sea, but was never really able to find his stroke in his first year of ball (27.5% three point percentage). If he can fix that in the offseason, Hermansson will be closer to a 16-4 guy by next year. If he continues to struggle from outside, he'll never reach his full potential as a DI guard. Look for his rank to jump up next year.
237. Jay Harris-UIC (Senior)/15.1 ppg, 3 rpg, 3.7 apg, 38.4% FGP, 32.5% Three Point, 1.32 Assist-Turnover Ratio-It's been a tough career for senior guard Jay Harris. He started his career at Valpo back in 2011-12. He played well, averaging 9 points and 2.6 assists per contest as a freshman. Then, he transferred over to Wagner. He once again played well there, scoring 10.3 points and dishing out 2.8 assists per contest. However, he was kicked out of the school for violation of team rules. Finally, he ended his career at UIC, and played the best basketball of his career. He averaged career highs in points (15.1), rebounds (3), assists (3.7) and steals (1.3). He even guided his team to two upsets in the Horizon League Tournament, knocking off Wright State and Oakland. He ended his career on a high note, averaging 20.3 ppg and 5.3 apg in his last three games. A great end to a tough career.
236. Madarious Gibbs-Texas Southern (Senior)/14.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.2 apg, 42.9% FGP, 25.3% Three Point, 1.44 Assist-Turnover Ratio-Another four year senior, Madarious Gibbs has had one heck of a career at Texas Southern. The first three seasons, he was a pass first guard, meaning he looked to dish the ball out before looking for his own shot. However, in his last season, he really found his scoring tenacity, putting up a career high 14.2 ppg. At the same time, he didn't give up on his passing (4.2 apg). He still turned the ball over a little too much (2.9 times per game) and didn't shoot a great percentage from the line (67.5%) or outside (25.3%). But his exceptional work leading this young team out of the SWAC more than made up for his shooting woes. In the teams meeting with Arizona, he played all 40 minutes, ending with 15 points and 3 assists against one of the best defenders in the country (TJ McConnell). He wasn't always the most exciting player to watch, but he was one of the most effective Mid-Major guards in the nation.
235. Amadi Udenyi-Pepperdine (Sophomore)/6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 4.4 apg, 33.3% FGP, 39.3% Three Point, 2.31 Assist-Turnover Ratio- Sophomore guard Amadi Udenyi is a really tough guy to rank. On one side, he struggles from the field (33.1% FGP), often taking ill-advised threes or long jumpers. But it's hard to ignore his impressive 2.31 assist-turnover ratio, truly an elite number. He shot much better from behind the arc this past year (39.1%), but still struggled from the field (33.3%). He also only got to the line 1.9 times per game, not a great number for such a big bodied point. Injuries plagued him for the bulk of the season (missed 10 games), so it will be interesting to see what he can do in a full season (hurt a couple games freshman year as well). He's proved to be a rock solid point guard when he's healthy, so next year will be really telling of how much he's grown as a player.
234. CJ Cooper-UTEP (Senior)/8.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 38.3% FGP, 35.3% Three Point, 2.46 Assist-Turnover Ratio- He wasn't always the best player on either side of the floor for the Miners, but Cooper could have very well been the MVP for this year's squad. His 2.46 assist-turnover ratio is an elite number, but unlike Udenyi, he could also score in bunches as well. His outside shot progressed through his college career, and that really showed this year. He shot 35.3% from behind the arc on 4.1 attempts per game. Most importantly, he dished out a career high 3.2 assists per game. The California product always handled the pressure well throughout his four year career, and never faltered at the line (74.3%). His skillset isn't strong enough to survive in the NBA, but he's another guy that should be able to play overseas. His 38.3% FGP hurt his ranking, but 234 isn't a bad place for a guy that averaged only 15.8 minutes per game in his sophomore season.
233. Yolonzo Moore II-Hartford (Senior)/8.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.7 apg, 40% FGP, 29.3% Three Point, 1.5 Assist Turnover Ratio- There's no doubt it was a disappointing year for senior guard Yolonzo Moore. After three years of slowly getting better in the scoring category, he was unable to crack 10 a game for the first time in his career. Still, Moore was a nice guy to have down the stretch. His 1.5 assist-turnover ratio wasn't elite, but it was good enough. His outside shot never really fell this year either, which is odd considering he's statistically been a pretty good shooter throughout his career (33.3% last year). Still, his excellent work on defense saved Hartford on multiple occasions, and his solid passing ability kept them out of some tough situations. It would have been nice to see him make the tourney in his final season, but that doesn't take anything away from his solid four year college career.
232. Greg Pryor-Chattanooga (Sophomore)/11.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.5 apg, 45.5 FGP, 37.9% Three Point, 1.25 Assist-Turnover Ratio- If Chattanooga was able to hold off Furman in the Southern Tournament, Pryor would have been a couple spots higher on this list. He may not have been the single most improved player in college basketball from this past season, but his name should at least be mentioned. He went from averaging 5.5 ppg, and 2.1 apg on 31.5% FGP his freshman season, to averaging over 11 points, 2 boards and 2 assists on 45.5% FGP this past year. It should also be noted that he more than doubled his three point percentage (18% last year). Needless to say, Mocs fans are excited for the future with Pryor leading the way. If he can stay healthy for a full season next year, the Mocs should be in good shape to make the tournament.
231. Marcquise Reed-Robert Morris (Freshman)/15.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.1 apg, 49% FGP, 41.3% Three Point, .8 Assist-Turnover Ratio- Although Marcquise Reed isn't technically a "point guard", per say, he's certainly played some PG this year. As a freshman, his straight scoring instincts are what really impressed me. He can score in a variety of ways. Whether it's from outside (41.4% Three point percentage), driving the lane (3.7 free throw attempts per game), or hitting midrange jumpshots (49% FGP), this is a tough guy to stop. Most importantly, Reed peaked at the right time of the year. In his final three games (NCAA Tournament included), he averaged 17 points, 2.3 assists, and a 90% free throw percentage. With a ton of talent returning to next year's Robert Morris squad, look for both Reed and the Colonials to take steps forward on both sides of the floor.
Men's Basketball's Top 250 Point Guards of 2014-2015
