Don’t think that the Year of the Point Guard only applies to the NBA. In college basketball, a bumper crop of ones is helping write the national narrative in a way similar to their pro counterparts: With diverse styles and circumstances that make it tough to pick exactly who is No. 1 on a daily basis.

Two of the front-running candidates for national Player of the Year are point guards. One of the top 10 teams in the country (according to the most recent Associated Press poll), at least five could arguably say their point guard is their best player. Read More »

Not to take a dump on ESPN’s Friday doubleheader featuring Spurs vs. Mavs and Blazers vs. Suns, but was there really any doubt that last night’s true must-see matchup was Warriors vs. Clippers? Forget the win-loss records: Blake Griffin and Monta Ellis might actually hail from planets other than ours, Stephen Curry and Eric Gordon are walking clinics on the art of deadly buckets, and the Golden State crowd is always fun, especially on a night where they’d be welcoming back Baron Davis … Read More »

It is hard to imagine a freshman having a better start to his career than Kyrie Irving. The Duke point guard has already held preseason All-America Jacob Pullen to 1-of-12 shooting, dished off nine assists in a game twice and had a 31-point explosion against the then-No. 6 team in the country that practically had Dick Vitale at a loss for words. Read More »

I feel like I’ve grown up at Dime alongside Chris Paul.

In the summer of 2005, I landed in New York City for the first time, a brand-new college grad in town for an interview about a full-time job. Days earlier, I was told, brand-new NBA Draft pick Chris Paul had sat in the same Dime Magazine office I did, making the media rounds and doing interviews for his first foray into the professional ranks. Read More »

With the college basketball season underway, we thought now was as good a time as any to share this video from The Wichita Eagle. Who knew Jacob Pullen had just as much game off the court.

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Now that the Top 25 has come out, it is time to preview some of the best college teams in the 2010-11 season. The key to having a successful team is having the perfect blend of athleticism, fundamentals and chemistry. Last week, we broke down was the No. 2 ranked team, the Michigan State Spartans. This week’s profile will be on Frank Martin’s Kansas State Wildcats. Read More »

After the NBA Draft and before Midnight Madness, it seems nobody really talks about college basketball. While free agency and trades in the pros dominate the headlines, now is the time where your favorite NCAA team is gearing up and building the chemistry that could carry them to a national championship. The recruits are on campus, the returners are learning their new roles, and coaches are devising game plans. Here is my pre-preseason national Top-10: Read More »

Michael Beasley has it all. You could go an entire lifetime of basketball action and never come across a 6-9 forward with as diverse an array of athleticism, skills and versatility. There just aren’t many guys who can give you 20 and 10 one night and then hit five threes the next. Beasley’s problem is he is just as likely to give you two points and three rebounds like he did in the Miami Heat’s season ending loss to the Boston Celtics. Read More »

Rewind to three years ago, when it looked like it might be all over for Denis Clemente. After two suspensions for violations of team rules, including one beginning midseason that lasted until year’s end, Miami Hurricanes head coach Frank Haith dismissed the talented sophomore point guard from his squad. Faced with a mandatory transfer redshirt year, Clemente made the move to Manhattan, Kansas to rejuvenate his career as a Wildcat. Now, with two All-Big 12 selections and one prestigious All-American award to his name, one thing is clear: a lot can change in three years. Read More »

For two teams that were ranked in a lot of people’s national Top 10 in the preseason, it still seems like an underdog story for West Virginia and Butler to have made it to the Final Four. It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise, though, as the Mountaineers and Bulldogs have most of the elements required to succeed in March: Defense, experience, strong guard play, versatility, good coaching, and a couple of legit stars. And perhaps more importantly, both teams got hot at the right time. West Virginia’s win over Kentucky yesterday was their 10th in a row, while Butler’s win over Kansas State was their 24th in a row … Read More »