10 Feet High

It's that time of year again. You know, when millions of disgruntled men (and women) across America pull out all the stops for their best sick excuses so they can watch the first two days of the Big Dance? The time when "bracket guy" steps up to the plate for his annual ambition to become the most annoying guy in the office. But it's all a part of the fun right?! With that in mind, let's take a look back memory lane for the best guard combinations of the tourney's last decade.

The NCAA tournament is all about quality guard play. If you don’t have good guards, you can’t win a title, period. Why is this so important? Because particularly late in the tournament, your backcourt, especially your point guard, becomes an extension of the head coach on the floor. If he can run a team efficiently without turning the ball over, you will always have a chance to win. But if your guards struggle with pressure and can’t initiate an offense, you will not make it far. It doesn’t matter how good your bigs are if your guards can’t deliver them the ball. Big men can’t just create off the dribble from 20 feet - they have to have the ball on the block or work out of the high post.

With that in mind, and with the NCAA tournament right around the corner, let’s take a look back at the top guard combinations of the past decade, counting down from No. 10. (Note: This is the first installment of a two-part series. The next edition will have feature the top five.)

Honorable Mention:

2001-2002 Oregon Ducks – Luke Ridnour, Luke Jackson, Fred Jones

This team had a great run making it to the Elite Eight. Ridnour was the ultimate catalyst with an uncanny ability to penetrate and dish, and was a wondrous operator of the pick-and-roll. Jackson was the most versatile, the consummate slasher who could also hit the three, and Jones, a former NBA Slam Dunk champ, was a beast in transition. In hindsight, it’s hard to believe this team didn’t go further, but it ran into a very talented No. 1 seed in Kansas that featured a young Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich.

2005-2006 UCLA Bruins – Aaron Afflalo, Jordan Farmar

I once played against Afflalo and it felt like being contained in a box. He’s an ace defender who could score and was extremely tough. During his UCLA days, Farmar was an adroit passer who really made this team tick at both ends along with Afflalo. A first-rate passer who distributed the ball with ease, he is one of the better college points of the decade.

1998-1999 UCLA Bruins – Earl Watson, Baron Davis, JaRon Rush

I know, I know, it’s not quite this decade, but I’m a Pac 10 (Pac 12?) guy so I couldn’t help myself. On sheer talent alone, this pairing should be near the top. Watson and Davis have both told me on separate occasions that Rush is one of the most naturally gifted athletes they’ve ever seen. For whatever reason though, UCLA couldn’t get out of the second round that year and never advanced past the Sweet 16 with Watson and Davis at the helm. Both however, were splendid playmakers. Davis was the rare blend of size and power at the point guard position who could dunk on you while Watson made his mark as the nifty passer and lockdown defender.



2004-2005 North Carolina Tar Heels – Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton, Jackie Manuel

Felton was electric all season long as the dynamic push-first point guard who ran the ball down your throat at all costs. McCants, with his “Born to be hated, dying to be loved” tattoo and ESPN cover, lived up to the hype as the cold-blooded leading scorer on this national title squad. Manuel wasn’t flashy, but with these two he didn’t have to be – just a great glue guy. I saw him at the National D-League camp last June. He is still as nasty as ever on defense and on the glass.

2001-2002 Texas Longhorns – T.J. Ford, Royal Ivey, Brandon Mouton

Mouton is not someone you’d want to be alone with in a dark alley, and thus complimented Ford and Ivey really well. Ford – while he has struggled with his health and finding his niche in the league – had bundles of success in college with his knee jerk drives into the lane and ability to finish through traffic. Ivey was the do-it-all guard who could defend and knock down big shots.

2003-2004 Washington Huskies – Brandon Roy, Nate Robinson, Will Conroy

Conroy was the ultimate catalyst and remains Washington’s all-time leader in assists. Of course, much of that has to do with the fact that he was tossing it to Robinson and Roy. Robinson, the 5-9 (on a good day) monster, became infamous for his thunderous slams. But he had finesse too, namely a really nice pull-up jumper and consistent three-point stroke. Roy however, was by far UW’s best player. The local product had an exceptional feel for the game – ala Dunleavy – but was also remarkably crafty and deceivably athletic. The best player in Washington history and my former AAU teammate, he was a superb defender and dominate scorer who was oddly unselfish as well. If they weren’t robbed by UConn a couple years later in the Sweet 16 (again... see below), Roy could have led the Huskies to the Final Four. (Note: No quality video of the three together, so these are from the '04-'05 season and the 2006 Sweet 16, when Roy just gives it to Rudy Gay. Conroy had graduated.)





10). 2005-2006 Villanova Wildcats – Allen Ray (18.5 points), Kyle Lowry (11 points, 3.9 assists), Randy Foye (20.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists)

Remember these guys? Or when Allen Ray literally had his eye pumped out? Okay, all kidding aside, this trio was hard-nosed, physical, and with Ray, had just the right amount of finesse. Lowry could guard anyone and penetrated gaps unlike anyone else, and Foye was a carbon copy, only a little better at both. It certainly wasn’t their fault for not making it past the Elite Eight as Florida rolled them en route to its first title of the back-to-backs. No player on the ‘Nova roster that season was taller than 6-7, so guarding Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer presented just a few match-up problems.



9). 2003-2005 Marquette Golden Eagles – Dwyane Wade (21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists), Travis Diener (11.8 points, 5.6 assists)

Marquette shocked the college basketball world when it made its unforgettable run to the 2003 Final Four. Travis Diener could stick it from anywhere and became the undersized kid that everybody loved, while Wade developed into a bonafide superstar. His dashes to the basket were basically unstoppable and his athleticism was unparalleled. But they were thwarted by the KU buzzsaw in the national semifinal. Kirk Hinrich and Co. bottled up Marquette in a 94-61 rout.

8). 2007-2008 Memphis Tigers – Derrick Rose (14 points, 4.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds), Chris Douglas-Roberts (17.3 points)

With the exception of Jay Williams, Derrick Rose is the best college guard of the decade. His power, speed and quickness made him a dynamic threat, but his competitive fire made him nearly unstoppable at Memphis. Chris Douglas-Roberts, with his herky jerky moves and awkward drives, made him one of the elite wings in the country. If it weren’t for John Calipari’s failure to emphasize free throws (he once told PTI that when he recruits a player he looks for 25 things, and free throws are 26th on that list), we’d be talking about Memphis as a championship team, not a runner-up.

7). 2001-2002 Maryland Terrapins – Juan Dixon (20.4 points, 4.6 rebounds), Steve Blake (7.8 points, 8 assists)

These two are the ultimate testament to what great guard play can mean come March. Dixon had a stellar senior year, but reached tournament immortality by averaging 26 points in leading the Turtle to its first national title ever. Blake was the exemplary point guard, able to get into the teeth of the defense and kick out to Dixon and Drew Nicholas, while operating the pick and roll to perfection with Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox. Again, it’s one thing to have good big men, but as previously alluded to, if your guards can’t deliver the ball, it really doesn’t matter.

6). 2003-2004 St. Joseph’s Hawks – Jameer Nelson (20.6 points, 5.3 assists, 3 steals), Delonte West (18.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists)

Remember watching Phil Martelli parade the sidelines like a mad men that year? Neither Nelson nor West were huge recruits, but this sensational duo led St. Joes to a No.1 ranking for much of the season and an Elite Eight appearance. West was the less heralded of the two, but the southpaw became a great scorer who could fill it up from deep.

Nelson was the perfect college point guard – a much more talented Mateen Cleaves if you will. Small, but tough and strong, not blazingly fast but super quick, and he could finish through insurmountable amounts of contact. The two played brilliantly off of each other.