Big Ten point guard power rankings: Ace Baldwin/Braden Smith drop double-digit dimes
Ace Baldwin is settling into his role as a distributor for Penn State, but after a 13-assist performance against Purdue, where does he rank among Big Ten point guards?
By Josh Yourish
For the past two years, college basketball has had a Godzilla-like monster looming over the sport, destroying college campus after college campus. Zach Edey was the deserving Player of the Year last season and will easily win the award again this year. Yet, in March, it didn’t matter because college basketball is and always will be about guard play, point guard play to be exact.
The players who have the ball in their hands more than anyone else and make the most decisions, inevitably decide the biggest games.
Last season, UConn had Adama Sanogo to dominate the interior, but the Huskies didn’t turn into a juggernaut until Tristen Newton emerged as a steadying force in the backcourt and Jordan Hawkins started to shoot the lights out. Should we be surprised that a Hurley developed a championship-level backcourt?
The point guard isn’t always the best player on the team, but when it's win or go home, more often than not, he’s the most important. That’s the first position I look at when I’m filling out a March Madness bracket or just betting on a Tuesday night game in January. So, I’m here to power rank the Big Ten point guards and tell you who I trust when March comes around.
While the Big Ten doesn’t mind adding team after team, I’ll respect the sanctity of the conference’s name and stop at my top 10 Big Ten point guards.