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Who are the best point guards of all time at the collegiate level? Well, it depends on what we mean by “best.” Point guards can dominate the game in different ways. Some point guards are great because they’re elite scorers. Others, because they’re adroit passers. Others still, because their basketball IQs, their sense of space, their ability to command the floor and penetrate defenses makes the entire team around them better. And they very best point guards of all time invariably possess some combination of all those traits. So who are college basketball’s best point guards of all time? Check out the list below.

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Best Point Guards of All-Time – NCAA

30) Tim Hardaway, UTEP

29) John Stockton, Gonzaga

 Undoubtedly one of the NBA’s best point guards of all time, John Stockton played four years of college basketball at Gonzaga before turning pro (Stockton was drafted by the Utah Jazz as the 16th overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft).

Like so many of the all-time greats, Stockton was a precocious young athlete. Born in Spokane, Washington, he attended high school at Gonzaga Prep, and by the time he graduated he’d become Spokane’s most prolific high school basketball scorer of all time. At the college level, Stockton considered playing for Idaho and Montana, but ultimately decided to attend his hometown university, Gonzaga.

Stockton’s last year at Gonzaga was his best. In 1984, he averaged 20.9 points per game and shot 57% from the field. He led the Bulldogs to a 17-11 record on the season, their best in almost two decades.

Best Point Guards of All Time – NCAA Edition (Continued)

28) Trey Burke, Michigan

27) Raymond Felton, UNC

As a Knicks fan, I’ll remember Raymond Felton for two things: an okayish 2010 season in which he and Amar’e Stoudemire were the faces of the franchise, and the trade that sent him and a few others to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Carmelo Anthony.

But Felton’s college career was memorable in its own right. In 2004, his second year at UNC, he averaged 11.5 points per game. He also led the team in both steals and free throw percentage. The next year, his last at UNC, he led the Tarheels to their fifth men’s national basketball championship.

Best Point Guards of All Time – NCAA Edition (Continued)

26) Mike Bibby, Arizona

25) Derrick Rose, Memphis

24) Ty Lawson, UNC

23) John Wooden, Purdue

John Wooden (1910-2010) is known first and foremost as one of the , a reputation he established by leading UCLA to an incredible ten NCAA national championships in a twelve-year period. But Wooden deserves recognition for his career as a player, too. At Purdue from 1929-1932, he became the first ever college player to be named a consensus All-American three times. After graduating, he went on to play professionally in the National Basketball League, which later merged with the Basketball Association of American to form the NBA. In 1977, the John R. Wooden Award came into being, college basketball’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.

22) TJ Ford, Texas

21) Damon Stoudamire, Arizona

Best Point Guards of All Time – College Basketball Edition (Continued)

20) John Wall, Kentucky

19) Bob Cousy, Holy Cross

Bob Cousy, born in 1928, is one of the most important figures in the history of basketball. He led the Boston Celtics to six championships between 1957 and 1963, and his style of play revolutionized the point guard position in particular and the game of basketball in general. Nicknamed “The Houdini of the Hardwood,” Cousy is considered one of the best point guards of all time. He was the first point guard to combine the ball-handling and passing skills that we’ve come to associate with the position now.

Cousy played college basketball at Holy Cross. He was a part of the Crusaders’ team that won the NCAA championship in 1947. In his second and third years, he led the team in scoring. Cousy ended his college career at Holy Cross a three time All-American.

18) Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph’s

17) Penny Hardaway, Memphis

Best Point Guards of All Time – NCAA Edition (Continued)

16) Jimmer Fredette, BYU

15) Kemba Walker, Connecticut

Kemba Walker was exceptional in all three years of his years at UConn, but his sophomore and junior seasons solidify his legacy as one of the NCAA’s best point guards of all time. His sophomore year, he averaged 14.6 points per game. The next year, he established himself as one of the best scorers in all of college basketball, recording an average of 26.7 points per game. The season culminated with the Huskies’ run, led by Walker, to their sixth national title.

14) Pete Maravich, LSU

At both the collegiate and professional levels, Pistol Pete Maravich was one of the best point guards of all time. One of the best scorers and ball-handlers the game has ever seen, Maravich averaged 44.2 points per game during his time at LSU; by the time he moved on to the NBA, he’d become the all-time leading NCAA division I men’s scorer, with 3,667 points—a feat he accomplished before the introduction of the three-point line.

Best Point Guards of All Time – NCAA Edition (Continued)

13) Jay Williams, Duke

12) Stephen Curry, Davidson

Not only is Steph Curry a four-time NBA champion, a two-time NBA MVP, an NBA Finals MVP, and one of the best point guards of all time, his prowess behind the three-point line completely revolutionized the entire sport of basketball.

Curry played four years of college basketball at Davidson. As a Wildcat, he was twice named Conference Player of the Year. In his sophomore campaign, he set the men’s college basketball record for three-pointers made, with 162.

Best Point Guards of All Time – College Basketball (Continued)

11) John Lucas, Maryland

10) Chris Paul, Wake Forest

Wake Forest has produced some elite NBA talent, and Chris Paul is at the top of the list of the school’s notable alumni (along with Tim Duncan). His first year as a Demon Deacon, he set freshman records for pretty much every relevant statistical category you can think of, including three-point percentage, free throw percentage, assists, and steals. His sophomore year, Paul led Wake Forest to its first number one ranking in school history. In 2005, he announced that he’d be declaring for the NBA draft, and later that year he was selected by the New Orleans Hornets as the fourth overall pick.

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9) Bobby Hurley, Duke

Bobby Hurley’s dominance at Duke makes him one of the best college point guards of all time. Hurley was a high school star at St. Anthony High School in his hometown of Jersey City, New Jersey, and between the years of 1989 and 1993 he played point guard for the Mike Kryzewski-led Duke Blue Devils. Hurley’s accomplishments and accolades from his time at Duke include a unanimous first-team All-American selection, three Final Four appearances, and back-to-back national championships in 1991 and 1992. His performance during the Blue Devils’ 1992 championship run earned him Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. When he wrapped up his college career, he was the NCAA’s all-time leader in assists. In 1993, the year he was selected by the Sacramento Kings as the 7th overall pick in the NBA draft, Duke retired his No. 11 jersey.

Best Point Guards of All Time – NCAA Edition (Continued)

8) Allen Iverson, Georgetown

Allen Iverson’s NBA career is one of the most of all time. From the moment he first suited up for the 76ers, he was larger than life, iconoclastic, transcendent.

Born in Hampton, Virginia, Iverson played basketball and football in high school before committing to join the Georgetown Hoyas basketball squad. In the 1994-95 season, his first year, Iverson averaged 20.4 points per game and earned Big East Rookie of the Year honors. That year, as the Hoyas’ point guard, he led the team to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament, where they were beaten by the North Carolina Tar Heels. His second and last year at Georgetown was even more dominant than his debut season. Iverson averaged 22.9 points per game in the 1995-96 NCAA season, and he led the Hoyas to a Big East championship and a berth in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. In both of his college seasons, Iverson earned the distinction of Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

In 1996, after his sophomore season, Iverson declared for the NBA draft.

7) Gary Payton, Oregon State

Gary Payton is an NBA champion, a nine-time NBA All-Star, and a winner of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. But before his legendary pro career—primarily with the Seattle SuperSonics—he was a dominant force in college basketball.

Payton went to Oregon State University and his time there (1986-1990) is widely regarded as one of the best college basketball careers of all time. By the time he graduated, he’d broken school records for points, field goals, three-pointers made, assists, and steals. In 1990, his last year at Oregon State, he was a consensus All-American, and in his four-year career he led the Beavers to three NCAA tournament appearances. In 1996, he was elected to Oregon State’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Best Point Guards of All Time – College Basketball Edition (Continued)

6) Phil Ford, North Carolina

Phil Ford’s prowess at the college level made him the second overall draft pick in 1978 NBA draft. Ford played point guard for the North Carolina Tar Heels for four seasons between the years 1974 and 1978.

He was an elite scorer throughout his college career. His freshman year, he averaged more than 16 points per game, and that number went up each year, culminating in his final year, when he averaged 20.8 points per game. That year, he became the ACC’s Player of the Year. And twice during his UNC career he was a consensus first-team All-American.

Additionally, Ford’s junior year, he led the Tar Heels to a conference title and a deep run in the NCAA tournament. Spurred on by his performance, the Tar Heels made it all the way to the championship round before they were bested by Marquette.

Phil Ford’s No. 12 jersey is now retired at UNC.

Best Point Guards of All Time – NCAA Edition (Continued)

5) Jason Kidd, California

Jason Kidd, whose professional credentials include an NBA championship ring and ten NBA All-Star selections, played two seasons of college basketball at the University of California from 1992 to 1994. An elite passer and rebounder, Kidd averaged 13 points, 7.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.8 steals per game during his freshman season. That year, he helped the Golden Bears make it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament, a run which included an upset of two-time defending champ Duke.

Kidd’s sophomore season saw him break the school’s record for the most assists in a season, with 272. He became a First Team All-American that year, the first Golden Bear to earn that distinction since 1968. While the team lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Kidd’s performance made him a finalist for both the Naismith and Wooden Awards. At the end of the year, he declared for the NBA draft.

4) Calvin Murphy, Niagara

Calvin Murphy, coming in at 5’9’’ out of Norwalk, Connecticut, put up some of the best college basketball numbers of all time. Point guard for the Niagara University Purple Eagles from 1967-1970, he was a three-time All-American and averaged 33.1 points per game in his 77-game-long college career.

Best Point Guards of All Time – NCAA Edition (Continued)

3) Isiah Thomas, Indiana

Known for spending his entire pro career with the Detroit Pistons, Isiah Thomas played college basketball under Bob Knight at the University of Indiana. His freshman year, he and Mike Woodson led the Hoosiers to a Big Ten championship and an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. The following year, Thomas was named the Hoosiers’ captain. He led them to the national title, Indiana’s fourth men’s basketball championship. After his championship run with the Hoosiers, he declared for the NBA draft.

2) Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati

Oscar Robertson is not only one of the best point guards to ever play in the NBA or the NCAA, he’s also one of basketball’s all-time greats and one of the most important figures in the history of the sport.

Robertson’s college career was nothing short of dominant. In each of his three years at Cincinnati, between 1957 and 1960, he averaged more than 33 points per game, which makes him the NCAA’s third-best scorer of all time. Each year, he led the league in scoring; each year, he was named an All-American; and each year, he earned the distinction of College Player of the Year. As a college basketball player, he set a total of fourteen NCAA records.

Robertson’s career is all the more remarkable given the historical period during which he dominated the sport. To give just one example: when Cincinnati traveled south to face off against schools like Kentucky or Duke, Robertson was often not allowed to sleep in hotels along with his white teammates.

Best College Basketball Point Guards of All Time – (Continued)

1) Magic Johnson, Michigan State

Magic Johnson was so great a basketball player that , by now, has eclipsed basketball; he’s almost more of a historical figure, cultural icon, or pop star than he is an athlete. He put together such an epic career that almost everyone, across multiple generations, has some connection to him. I’m too young to have watched him play at the height of his greatness, but I do remember when he became part-owner of the Lakers. My dad probably remembers Magic as a part of the 1992 gold medal Dream Team, or when he was the leader of the Lakers squad dominating the league in the 80s. And my uncle, who’s a Michigan guy, probably remembers Magic’s time at Michigan State.

His first year there, Johnson averaged 17 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game. Plus, he led the Spartans to the Elite Eight of the 1978 NCAA Tournament. The very next year, Magic finished the job and defeated the Larry Bird-led Indiana State Sycamores in the championship game. After his two years at Michigan State, Johnson declared for the NBA draft.

Best Point Guards of All Time – NCAA Edition – Additional Resources

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