Sports Illustrated
1. Braden Smith, Purdue
Smith gets the deserving nod as the nation’s best lead guard, entering his senior season with Bobby Hurley’s career assists record in his sights as he tries to lead the Boilermakers to a national championship. No one in the country is better at manipulating the defense than Smith, and the Boilermakers should have more weapons to take the pressure off him and Trey Kaufman-Renn this season thanks to their offseason additions.
2. Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Peterson is a generational talent, one of the best guards to hit college basketball in quite some time. He’s a dominant scorer (as evidenced by outbursts like his 61-point game in high school against AJ Dybantsa’s Utah Prep) but has continued to improve as a playmaker, proving more than capable of getting teammates involved when defenses force the ball out of his hands.
3. Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
Stirtz willed Drake to 31 wins and an NCAA tournament victory in his first year at the Division I level, rarely leaving the floor and taking on a massive offensive role in Ben McCollum’s intricate system. He’s a master in ball screens, with an advanced floater game that allows him to score at all three levels and elite decision-making skills to help others get involved. If he can lift Iowa into the Big Ten’s top tier, there may not be a more valuable player in the sport.
4. Donovan Dent, UCLA
There may not be a more electrifying player with the ball in his hands in college hoops than Dent, an absolute jet in the open floor who makes the jump to UCLA after taking New Mexico to the NCAA tournament in 2024 and ’25. It will be fascinating to see him in a new system, one that likely won’t allow him to play quite as up and down of a style as the one he played at New Mexico. How UCLA coach Mick Cronin balances giving Dent the freedom to make mistakes with wanting to retain his traditional half-court offensive principles will be fascinating to watch.
5. Labaron Philon, Alabama
Philon’s 11th-hour return to Alabama after initially planning on staying in the NBA draft was game-changing news for the Tide, who will rely heavily on Philon’s shot creation to remain one of the nation’s top offenses. Philon played outstanding in a supporting role last season next to Mark Sears, but Alabama’s offense was even better by the numbers a year ago with Philon running the point and Sears on the bench. That could be a good sign of things to come with Philon stepping into the star role in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Excitement about Brown in Louisville couldn’t be any higher as the five-star point guard looks to help get the Cardinals back to the top of college basketball. Brown dominated the FIBA U19 World Cup this summer, showing off his high-level shotmaking and playmaking chops en route to winning a gold medal with Team USA. He seems like an ideal fit to play in Pat Kelsey’s system, which gives players tons of freedom and heavily emphasizes outside shooting.
7. Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn
Pettiford scored 20 or more points six times last season as a super sub on the Tigers’ Final Four squad. This year’s Auburn team is unquestionably his, and you can expect his numbers to explode in the process. Pettiford is continuing to improve as a decision-maker and true point guard, but as a pure scorer he’s among the best in the country already as just a sophomore.
8. Milos Uzan, Houston
Uzan was a huge part of Houston’s run to the national championship game a year ago, and now returns for his second year in the system after testing the NBA draft waters. Playing in Kelvin Sampson’s PG-friendly offense helped Uzan up his shooting numbers and drop his turnovers from his time at Oklahoma, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him explode this year now that he’s more comfortable in Houston’s system. The Cougars could look to him to create for himself more often with LJ Cryer having graduated.
9. Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee
Gillespie was one of last year’s most important portal pickups, helping lead Maryland to a trip to the Sweet 16 and a top-10 KenPom finish. Now, he finishes his career in his home state at Tennessee, where he should help the Vols not miss a beat after Zakai Zeigler’s graduation. Gillespie is an elite floor general who has a knack for making the right play in big moments. The Vols may need him to call his own number more than he did a year ago in College Park, Md., but he’s talented enough to take on those additional responsibilities.
Few guards in the country have been more productive in the last two seasons than Haggerty, who scored over 1,400 points in two seasons in the American (one at Tulsa, one at Memphis). He carried the Tigers to a surprise No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament thanks to his relentless pressure attacking the rim and ability to draw fouls. He perhaps misplayed his hand some in the portal, waiting out higher-dollar offers before landing at Kansas State, but his addition is a huge boon for Jerome Tang as he looks to get the Wildcats back to the Big Dance.
11. Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Lipsey’s counting stats don’t pop off the page, but he’s the consummate floor general. T.J. Otzelberger and everyone else in the Iowa State program raves about his leadership, and he’s the head of the snake for one of the nation’s best defenses. With Keshon Gilbert and Curtis Jones having graduated, Iowa State may need a bit more offensively this season from Lipsey if it wants to remain among the Big 12’s elite.
12. Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
The only thing missing from Thornton’s career at Ohio State is March success. In three years in Columbus, Ohio, Thornton has blossomed into one of the most efficient guards in the country, posting an eye-popping 130 offensive rating last season. He shot 50% from the field, 42% from three and 85% from the line last season. The next step is getting to the NCAA tournament, something Thornton has yet to do in his time at Ohio State.
13. Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
Hubbard has a ridiculous 1,240 career points already as he enters his junior year in Starkville, Miss., setting him well on the way to becoming Mississippi State’s all-time scoring leader. He’s among the sport’s best off-the-dribble scorers, capable of creating tons of space with his creative handle and shooting over much bigger defenders in the process. He has willed the Bulldogs to a pair of NCAA tournament appearances already and has his sights set on more this season.
Anderson played mostly off the ball a year ago next to Elijah Hawkins but now is sliding into a more traditional point guard role this season in Lubbock. Grant McCasland’s staff has incredibly high hopes for Anderson, and early returns from Anderson’s time playing with the German national team this summer have been incredibly positive. Few guards in the country have Anderson’s touch and craftiness with the ball in his hands.
15. Jaland Lowe, Kentucky
Lowe struggled from an efficiency standpoint at Pittsburgh last season, shooting under 38% from the field and 27% from three in a disappointing year for the Panthers. A change of scenery should do him well though, and buzz out of Lexington, Ky., has been incredibly positive about Lowe thus far. He’s a dynamic playmaker who knows when to pick his spots between looking to score and setting his teammates up.
Honorable Mention Markus Burton, Notre DameSilas Demary Jr., UConnBoogie Fland, FloridaRob Wright III, BYUXzayvier Brown, OklahomaAnthony Robinson II, MissouriDarius Acuff, ArkansasJackson Shelstad, OregonJaden Bradley, ArizonaAcaden Lewis, Villanova