Dribble Handoff: Purdue’s Braden Smith, Memphis’ PJ Haggerty among picks for college basketball’s top guard

By all accounts, the race for National Player of the Year is down to two players, as Duke forward and Auburn center Johni Broome battle it out for the Naismith Award. But the debate around the best guard in college basketball is wide open.

There is no shortage of names to reasonably include in the conversation. With Alabama’s Mark Sears and North Carolina’s RJ Davis struggling to match lofty preseason expectations, numerous other guards have emerged as potential first-team All-Americans.

Florida floor general Walter Clayton Jr., Purdue’s Braden Smith and Marquette’s Kam Jones are all playing at an elite level — just to name three who quickly come to mind. Among teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament, Memphis has the highest-scoring guard in sophomore PJ Haggerty. 

Meanwhile, Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembard leads the nation in assists. The list goes much deeper, depending on how you classify “best” when it comes to guard play. It also depends on who you consider to be a guard. Does Michigan’s 7-foot ball-handler Danny Wolf count?

So who is the best guard in college basketball? With license to interpret “best” and “guard” however they wished, our writers made their choices in this week’s Dribble Handoff.

Kam Jones, Marquette

As explained above, a guard is not winning NPOY because either Flagg or Broome is winning POY barring a major, major surprise. But there are still great guards having great seasons. I think the best among them is Kam Jones, Marquette’s 6-foot-5 guard who is set to play in his fourth straight NCAA Tournament.

Jones excelled from the day he stepped on campus, but this has been his best season. With the ball in his hands more than ever (in the absence of ex-Golden Eagle Tyler Kolek), Jones has flourished. He’s averaging 19.2 points, 5.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds while shooting nearly 50% from the field for a team that’s ranked No. 11 in CBS Sports’ Top 25 And 1. Jones is already third on Marquette’s all-time scoring list. By the time this season is over, he should be second behind only Markus Howard. — Gary Parrish

Braden Smith, Purdue

I don’t think this is debatable as of today. Smith is statistically the best guard in the country and — when accounting for what Purdue lost last season in two-time NPOY Zach Edey — also the most valuable. EvanMiya.com ranks Smith third nationally, behind Broome and Flagg, as does KenPom. (I’m not the only one stumping for Smith here, so you can read even more on him and his stats below.) Beyond the numbers and the eye test, all the evidence I needed was provided earlier this week by a coach who schemed against some of the best point guards in college basketball over the past 15 years. He told me Smith is the second best in that span, only behind …  — Matt Norlander

Braden Smith, Purdue

There is no contrarian pick for me here. Braden Smith is making a strong push for POY and has emerged as the clear No. 1 guard in college basketball. He leads power conference players in assists per game (8.6) and is third among qualifying guards in box plus/minus — a stat that estimates a player’s value compared with a league-average player. He’s also averaging 16.4 points per game on 45/39/84 shooting splits

Purdue’s success is a case for Smith in and of itself. The team — which, as has been noted repeatedly, lost Zach Edey in the offseason — is 19-6 overall, 11-3 in Big Ten play and in the mix to win the conference. That push includes 11 wins in its last 13 outings after a shaky 8-4 start. Smith has found his footing as a star and Purdue has crafted its identity around him in the process.

“There was two different point guard camps last year where they invited 15 or 16 point guards coming into college and been in college, and I couldn’t get Braden Smith into either one of those,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said last week. “And I’m saying, ‘Hey, I’m not saying he’s a top-15 point guard in the country.’ I’m saying, ‘He’s the best point guard in the country.'”

I know a coach will almost always go to bat for his player, but Painter has a point here. He was one of the best guards in college basketball last season and has taken a leap to stardom this season. He deserves his flowers. — Kyle Boone

PJ Haggerty, Memphis

Haggerty is under appreciated nationally because he toils in the relative anonymity of the AAC. But if you’re using that to discredit the special season he’s having, take stock of his non conference stats. Against what KenPom rated as the No. 4 most difficult out-of-league schedule in college basketball, Haggerty averaged 22.1 points on 47.5% shooting — including 40.5% shooting from 3-point range. 

The Tulsa transfer leads Memphis in points (21.6), assists (3.7) and steals (2.1) and is the single biggest reason why Memphis is projected as a No. 4 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Haggerty was a bucket at Tulsa last season — averaging 21.2 points — but it was fair to wonder how his game would translate as he transitioned to a better team that plays tougher opposition. Haggerty answered those questions emphatically in November and December and has continued to lead the charge for a Memphis program enjoying its best season yet under seventh-year coach Penny Hardaway. — David Cobb

Braden Smith, Purdue

Coming into the season I was skeptical about what Purdue would look like post-Zach Edey. Replacing the production from a two-time National Player of the Year is no easy task, but Smith has stepped up to keep Purdue atop the Big Ten standings. He is a true floor general, averaging career highs in points (16.4), assists (8.6) and steals (2.5). On top o that, his play style is just so aesthetically pleasing. He runs the Boilermakers offense at a high level, gets to his spots on the floor for mid-range jumpers and can also get to the rim off pick-and-roll action. Guard play still matters in March, and Purdue will go as far as Smith takes them. — Cameron Salerno