The 2011 Big East Tournament gets started on Tuesday, and here at Bankroll Sports, we have all of the ins and outs for all of the best college hoops betting picks on the internet for the big time duel at Madison Square Garden.

Trying to pick the winner of this event could be brutally hard, as there are as many as 11 teams that could be in the field of 68 come Selection Sunday, and it feels like any of the 11 can actually get the job done. We’ll start with the one that probably has the most on the line this week, and that is the Marquette Golden Eagles (30 to 1 Odds to Win Big East Tournament at JustBet Sportsbook). The Golden Eagles don’t need to win this tournament to get into the field of 68, but they do need to win at least one, and possibly two games to get the job done. They’ve got a lethal set of shooters, but their defense is lax at times, and the rest of the team just never really rallies when the shooters go cold. However, Head Coach Buzz Williams’ team knows what this feeling is like at Madison Square Garden, and we wouldn’t be shocked if Marquette comes up huge on Tuesday, Wednesday, and maybe even deeper into the week in this tournament.

The teams that are most like to actually win this event though, are the ones that don’t have to fight it out on Tuesday and Wednesday. That means that we’re focusing in on the top two seeds, the Pitt Panthers (2 to 1 Big East Tournament Odds at JustBet Sportsbook) and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2 to 1 2011 Big East Tournament odds at JustBet Sportsbook). These two teams haven’t exactly been head and shoulders above the rest of the crew in the Big East this year, but they definitely do have all of the right stuff to be able to win this tournament. Ben Hansbrough and Tim Abromaitis are amongst the best pure shooters in the entire conference, while Head Coach Mike Bray has really put in some tremendous defensive values for this team. Meanwhile, Head Coach Jamie Dixon knows how to get this job done with Pitt as well. The Panthers are grinders, and the always find ways to get the job done on both ends of the court. Both could be prospective winners of this event.

If you believe in magic though, perhaps the team you should be betting on is the Connecticut Huskies (20 to 1 Big East Tournament Lines at JustBet Sportsbook). Sure, UConn has to come through the bracket starting on Tuesday, but there really won’t be any problems starting off this tourney with a win over DePaul. From there, it’s all about Kemba Walker. There isn’t a man that can take this tournament over like Walker can, and he really could single handedly put this team on his back and get the job done if he catches fire. We’re never ones to bet against these gritty Brooklyn boys playing back on their home courts at MSG, and Walker is possibly the most talented that we’ve seen come through these ranks in a long, long time here in the Big East.

2011 Big East Tournament Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 3/6/11):
(Get a HUGE 100% Bonus at JustBet.com When Using This Link)
Cincinnati Bearcats 25 to 1
Connecticut Huskies 20 to 1
Georgetown Hoyas 12 to 1
Louisville Cardinals 5 to 1
Marquette Golden Eagles 30 to 1
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2 to 1
Pittsburgh Panthers 2 to 1
St. John’s Red Storm 6.50 to 1
Syracuse Orange 3 to 1
Villanova Wildcats 50 to 1
West Virginia Mountaineers 12 to 1
Field 30 to 1

We’re inching closer to March Madness, and the biggest games are getting bigger and bigger over the course of the weekend. We take a look at some of the biggest matchups on the board for the weekend, and some of the great NCAA basketball trends that you need to note before making your college basketball picks on the games!

Saturday, February 19th, 12:00 ET: #4 Pitt Panthers @ St. John’s Red Storm
NCAA Basketball Odds: Pittsburgh -3.5
College Basketball Trends of Note
The Panthers are 5-1 ATS in their L/6 against teams with winning percentages above .600
U-Pitt is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 following an ATS defeat
The Red Storm are 4-1 ATS in their L/5 home games against teams with a winning road record

Series History
We know that the Johnnies have had all sorts of luck this year against big time teams both inside and outside of the Big East, especially here at Madison Square Garden, but that doesn’t mean that they are going to have the best of fortune in this one. The Panthers have won five straight both SU and ATS in this series, winning all of these games by at least seven points, and most of which have come by double digits. Still, St. John’s does have two wins here both SU and ATS at home in 2005 and 2006 at home, but none of these victories have really been all that impressive.

Saturday, February 19th, 1:00 ET: #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ West Virginia Mountaineers
College Basketball Odds: West Virginia -4
NCAA Basketball Trends of Note
The Fighting Irish are 16-5 ATS in their L/21 games against the Big East
Notre Dame is 10-4 ATS in its L/14 games away from Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center
West Virginia has failed to cover four in a row

Series History
If you’re looking for a barnburner of a game that could be a huge slugfest, this is the one for you. A whopping 11 straight in this series between these Big East rivals have ended with ‘under’ results, something that you might be looking forward to again on Saturday. The home team has won seven straight and nine out of 10, and the hosts are 4-1 ATS in the L/5 in this series. Here in Morgantown, the Mountaineers haven’t been beaten by the Fighting Irish since 2005, and that was the only road win in this series for either team since the early 2000s.

Saturday, February 19th, 2:00 ET: #2 Texas Longhorns @ Nebraska Cornhuskers
NCAA Basketball Lines: Texas -6.5
College Basketball Trends of Note
The Longhorns have covered seven straight on the road, all of which have come against teams with home winning percentages of at least .600.
Texas is 16-5 ATS in its L/21 games overall
The Huskers are 6-2 ATS in their L/8 against teams with a winning percentage of at least .600

Series History
This is going to be quite the interesting battle. Nebraska has only lost one game at home this entire season, dropping to the Kansas Jayhawks, while Texas is rarely beaten anywhere. The Huskers also really need this big time scalp to have any chance to get into the NCAA Tournament. The home team has won three straight SU and seven of the L/10 in this series. Nebraska had covered four straight in this series before the last meeting last year, as UT whooped up on the Cornhuskers 91-51 in Austin. Still, this is a significantly different type of test this year, and the Longhorns have to be very, very careful about the prospects of getting upset.

Saturday, February 19th, 4:00 ET: Boston College Eagles @ #19 North Carolina Tar Heels
College Basketball Lines: North Carolina -11.5
NCAA Basketball Trends of Note
The Eagles are 4-1 ATS in their L/5 played in the ACC
North Carolina is 7-1 ATS in its L/8 against teams in conference
The Tar Heels are 7-18 ATS in their L/25 at home against teams with a losing road record

Series History
The Eagles have already absolutely been clocked once in this series, losing 106-74 to the Tar Heels back in February up in Chestnut Hill, but that game was definitely not what we should consider to be the norm. Most of the meetings between these squads come down to the wire, which is why Boston College has a great run of 7-3 ATS over the course of the L/10 meetings. The Eagles know what it’s like to win here at the Dean E. Smith Center, as they have done so twice since coming over from the Big East, including in an 85-78 win in January 2009 as whopping 23 point underdogs.

Saturday, February 19th, 6:00 ET: Washington Huskies @ #13 Arizona Wildcats
NCAA Basketball Odds: Arizona -2.5
College Basketball Trends of Note
The Huskies are just 2-5 ATS in their L/7 overall
Arizona is 6-0-1 ATS in its L/7 overall
The Cats are 14-5 ATS in their L/19 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400

Series History
The Wildcats haven’t lost at home yet this year, something that is definitely worth noting in this battle atop the Pac-10. It’s also just as notable that U-Dub really hasn’t done that well either on the road, losing five times against quality opponents already this year. The home team is 6-2 ATS and a perfect 8-0 SU in this series dating back to 2007, but it’s definitely worth mentioning that the U of A is 7-2 ATS over the course of the L/9. Expect a high scoring duel in this one, as the winning team has averaged putting up 86.8 points per game over the course of the L/9 clashes of these Pac-10 rivals.

Saturday, February 19th, 9:00 ET: #24 Utah State Aggies @ #23 St. Mary’s Gaels
College Basketball Odds: St. Mary’s -4
NCAA Basketball Trends of Note
The Aggies are 39-19-2 ATS in their L/60 games following an SU win of at least 20 points
St. Mary’s has covered six in a row against the WAC
The Gaels are 19-7 ATS in their L/26 played outside of the West Coast Conference

Series History
BracketBusters normally pit all sorts of teams against each other from differing conferences that have never played each other before, but it was only two seasons ago that these two met for the first time in this very same event and in the very same venue. The deal with BracketBusters is that you get to play the team one year on the road, and the next season back at the opposition at some point early in the year. That being said, these next two years will be the third and fourth time that these top non Big Six schools have met in competition. So far, it’s been all St. Mary’s, as the Gaels have taken both of the first two meetings both SU and ATS.

We’re inching closer to March Madness, and the biggest games are getting bigger and bigger over the course of the weekend. We take a look at some of the biggest matchups on the board for the weekend, and some of the great NCAA basketball trends that you need to note before making your college basketball picks on the games!

Saturday, February 12th, 12:00 ET: #13 Syracuse Orange @ #15 Louisville Cardinals
College Basketball Trends of Note
-The home team is 5-2-1 ATS over the L/8 meetings in this series
-Syracuse is 12-5 ATS in its L/17 games away from the Carrier Dome
-The Orange are 5-12 ATS in their L/17 games played on Saturday

Series History
These two teams don’t have the same type of deep rooted history that some of the other big boys do in the Big East, but what little history there is all belongs to the Cardinals. These teams have met seven times as conference foes, with the Redbirds winning six of the seven, and they have gone 5-1-1 ATS in those tussles. Syracuse only won the first meeting at the Carrier Dome 79-66 in 2006. The ‘Cuse have never won a game in Louisville, where the Cards are 15-2 this season.

Current NCAA Basketball Betting Odds: Louisville -2 (137.5)

Saturday, February 12th, 1:00 ET: #18 Kentucky Wildcats @ #24 Vanderbilt Commodores
NCAA Basketball Trends of Note
-Kentucky is 3-7 ATS in its L/10 against SEC foes
-Vandy is 3-7 ATS in its L/10 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400
-The ‘Dores are 3-11 ATS in their L/14 games played on Saturday.

Series History
Kentucky has done well in this series, going 5-2 ATS over the course of the last seven meetings. However, it is really hard to ignore just how bad this team has been on the road this year, winning just one game in conference, at the South Carolina Gamecocks. This is the first of two meetings this year of these two teams. The home team had won six in a row in this series before UK came into the Music City and won last season 58-56. However, that was their first win here at Memorial Gym since 2005, something that will be hard to overcome on Saturday.

Current NCAA Basketball Betting Odds: Vanderbilt -1 (144)

Saturday, February 12th, 9:00 ET: #4 Pittsburgh Panthers @ #10 Villanova Wildcats
College Basketball Trends of Note
-Pittsburgh is 6-2 ATS in its L/8 games played in the Big East
-The Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in their L/5 games overall
-Villanova is 5-2 ATS in its L/7 home games

Series History
Home teams have really ruled the day in this series, going 10-4 ATS over the course of the last 14 tussles. U-Pitt did win last year at home as short underdogs to the Wildcats, but it hasn’t visited the City of Brotherly Love since 2009, and it hasn’t won here since 2007. The Panthers are 5-2 ATS over the course of the last seven meetings of these teams. If Pittsburgh wins, it will open up a commanding lead in the Big East and most likely will not be caught. This is probably the last chance that Head Coach Jay Wright’s team has at even thinking about a regular season Big East championship.

Current NCAA Basketball Betting Odds: Villanova -3 (139)

Saturday, February 12th, 2:00 ET: #1 Ohio State Buckeyes @ #14 Wisconsin Badgers
NCAA Basketball Trends of Note
-Ohio State is 7-2 ATS in its L/9 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600
-The Buckeyes are 9-3 ATS in their L/12 road games
-Wisconsin is 9-3 ATS in its L/12 against teams with a winning record SU

Series History
Expect to see a brutal one when these two teams square off, as there hasn’t been a meeting between them hit even 120 points since 2007. These two foes met already once this season, with the undefeated Buckeyes winning 60-51 at Value City Arena. The scene has shifted to the Kohl Center though, a place where Ohio State hasn’t won a game since January 2000, going 0-8 SU and 4-4 ATS. The Badgers are a great home team, and obviously, this is the biggest home game of the season for a bunch of fans that are historically very rowdy.

Current NCAA Basketball Betting Odds: Wisconsin -1 (122.5)

On Tuesday night, the Tennessee Volunteers were dismantled by the Vanderbilt Commodores 90-71. No, it wasn’t a loss that is totally going to shake the core of the entire city of Knoxville the same way that HC Lane Kiffin’s departure for USC did, but it could be a sign to come for a team that may be set to freefall through the SEC standings.

Maybe HC Bruce Pearl shouldn’t be smiling so much. After all, he dismissed G Tyler Smith from the basketball team 11 games ago, and since then, the team has only averaged 71.2 points per game, which is a far cry from the 76.7 for the duration of the season.

It’d be hard to picture an NCAA Tournament without the Volunteers, but let’s take a look at their resume right now just for fun, shall we?

Sure, there are some pretty good conference wins over Florida and Ole Miss, but all in all, a 6-3 record with only two road wins isn’t remarkable. Outside of SEC play, a win against Kansas is going to go a long way, but just like a lot of other major conference schools, there really aren’t any legitimate road wins on the slate.

The only really shameful losses as of right now were to Southern California and Georgia.

An SOS of 36, an RPI of 19, and an 18-5 record looks pretty solid, right?

So why am I wasting my time putting down the Vols? Just check out what’s left on this schedule…

Away @ Kentucky, Home vs. Georgia, Away @ South Carolina, Away @ Florida, Home vs. Kentucky, Home vs. Arkansas, Away @ Mississippi State, SEC Tournament

Hmm… A team that was 18-4 coming into yesterday will almost certainly be 18-6 by the time this weekend is over. There are only two games on this schedule that feel like absolute wins (Home vs. Georgia, Home vs. Arkansas), but the Hogs have already proven that they can play anywhere in this conference when they went on the road and took out Ole Miss in Oxford. A slip up in that game and a few road follies, and the Vols could suddenly be a 20-10 team going into the SEC Tournament and possibly needing a victory in that tourney to nail down a ticket to the dance.

For our money though, we’re far more concerned about how badly the Vols have been against the college basketball spreads. Tennessee dropped to just 1-5 ATS in its L/6 games, and it still only has one cover away from Rocky Top in the SEC. UT has also only scored 80+ points once in conference play this year after pulling that feat off five times in ’08-’09. This is also a squad that is struggling from beyond the arc on the season, shooting just 33.1%. That won’t get it done in the SEC, and it certainly won’t accomplish anything in the postseason either.

The oddsmakers haven’t really caught on quite yet, and before they do, it’s time to capitalize. Keep rolling against the boys from Rocky Top!

A week ago we broke down the top point guards on the hardwood this year in college basketball. Our attention now turns to the guys that share the back court with the point guards by the way of the shooting guards. These are the sharp shooters from the perimeter that carry their teams when they catch the hot hand and have the ability to post big numbers. These guards are normally the best pure shooters on the court and of ten times the guys you try to get the ball to when the game is on the line. Shooting guards compiled 2 of the top 4 picks in the NBA Draft last season and there is a good crop of players again this year. Take a look as we break down the top 10 shooting guards in college basketball.

#10 – Terrico White (Mississippi Rebels)

The Mississippi Rebels have jumped out to a strong 10-1 start to trail only Kentucky in the SEC. The Rebels success is a result of their stellar guard play and SG Terrico White is coming on strong to averaged 16.6 points per game this season. White is just a sophomore with plenty of time to develop into an even bigger scorer. However, White has proved to be a consistent scorer already this season and along with PG Chris Warren the Rebels possibly the best guard duo in the SEC.

#9 – Klay Thompson (Washington State Cougars)

The Cougars are off to one of the best starts of any team in the Pac-10 at a 9-2 record this season and one of the main ingredients to their success has been the play of sophomore guard Klay Thompson. Thompson has averaged 24.9 points per game this season to rank 4th individually in the country. Thompson is one of a few young sophomores on our list, but he is a guy that can post really big numbers like the 43 points tallied against San Diego earlier this year. Thompson is knocking down 49% on the season, but it will be interesting to see if those numbers can continue once conference action picks up.

#8 – Jordan Crawford (Xavier Musketeers)

Jordan Crawford started his career in Indiana before transferring and finding home with the Xavier Musketeers. So far, the move has been a good one for the Musketeers as Crawford is averaging 18 points per game in his first season with the team. Crawford is a player who has a lot of upside with his potential to get really hot from behind the arc. Crawford is already hitting 46.4% from the field and 42% from 3 point range this season. Again, he is a guy that could flourish as he develops.

#7 –Dominique Jones (South Florida Bulls)

There may not be any other player that has been as consistent from his very first appearance at the college level as South Florida’s Dominique Jones. Jones averaged 17 points per game as a freshman, 18 points as a sophomore, and currently averaging 18.2 points per game this season. Jones is completing 48% from the field this season and over the last few games is growing confident in his 3 point shooting. As a result, Jones has attempted more shots from behind the arc. South Florida has a tough road ahead of them but if Jones along with teammate Augustus Gilchrist can play well then they can have a successful season.

#6 – E’Twaun Moore (Purdue Boilermakers)

E’Twaun Moore is a guy that may not post the big numbers that some of the other players can accrue, but nonetheless an equally dangerous talent. Moore is averaging 16.1 points per game in the Big Ten which is a rather low scoring conference and knocking down a strong 48% from the field. Sharing the court with players like JaJuan Johnson and Robbie Hummel makes it even more impressive that Moore leads the team in scoring. However, he may need to become a more consistent big scorer to improve his rank among shooting guards. Then again Moore attempts fewer shots than anyone on our list which may mean he just needs to shoot the ball more often.

#5 – Aubrey Coleman (Houston Cougars)

Senior guard Aubrey Coleman has exploded offensively for the Cougars this season leading the nation with 26.9 points per game. Coleman averaged just less than 20 points per game a year ago and is inflicting even more damage this season. In fact, in recent performances the Cougars star has really displayed improvement in his long range shooting ability. Coleman is already shooting 41% from behind the arc, but if he continues to shoot the ball well then his numbers may continue to climb.

#4 – Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall Pirates)

Junior guard Jeremy Hazell has gotten off to a great start this season averaging 20.4 points per game. Hazell actually averaged 22 points per game last season which was very impressive considering how stacked the competition was in the Big East. Hazell will again play a huge factor for the Pirates this season as their main scorer. On the season, Hazell is down a bit in field goal percentage hitting just 41% of his shots. However, those numbers may be a bit misleading considering Hazell is attempting a ton of shots perhaps for the fact he is not getting a lot of help in the scoring department. However, Hazell continues to strive and he is a proven threat from behind the arc.

#3 – James Anderson (Oklahoma State Cowboys)

James Anderson led the Cowboys averaging 18.2 points per game as a sophomore, but he has shown that he is going to be even more dangerous this year. Anderson leads the Big 12 in scoring with 21.2 points per game and is knocking down 47% of his shots this year as well. Anderson has been a consistent shooter throughout his career at Oklahoma State and is a feared scorer from behind the arc where he knocked down over 40% from 3 point range a year ago. Anderson has reached double digits scoring every game this season and as long as he stays on the floor the Cowboys are a dangerous basketball team.

#2 – Willie Warren (Oklahoma Sooners)

If you are not familiar by the name Willie Warren, he was the young freshman that excelled in Blake Griffin’s injury absence at the end of last year. Warren now a sophomore has taken over the leading role in the Sooners rotation leading the team with 18 points per game. Warren has not developed the consistency this early in his career that Coach Capel may like to see, but he is still a guy that can determine the outcome of a game while posting big numbers. Warren is still improving his range and with a little more time he is going to be one of the most dangerous players in the country even though he may be already there.

#1 – Manny Harris (Michigan Wolverines)

Michigan may not be in for a big year after starting the season with a disappointing 5-5 record. However, junior guard Manny Harris gives Wolverines fans plenty of excitement to watch on the hardwood. Harris leads the Big Ten with 21.6 points per game and has scored no less than 16 points all season. Of course Harris helps out in other ways averaging 8 boards and 5 assists per game, but he is one of those players that are a factor every time he takes the court. On the season Harris is shooting 47% and he will be a possible lottery pick in the NBA Draft. The only problem that Harris has may be that he does not bury the 3 ball as well as some of the others on our list. However, he makes up for it by penetrating and creating high probable scoring opportunities.

The college basketball season is starting to pick up full steam and is picking up a lot more attention now that college football regular season is in the books. One of the common themes around the nation is that there is a ton of new and rising talent on the hardwood making big names for themselves heading into 2010. Among the headlines this season, we like to point out a group of guys that are shaping out to be a very good class at the point guard position. Of course not to get the confused with shooting guards, these are the guys directing the game and opening up opportunities for their players. Sometimes they do not post the big numbers as do the scorers, but they are equally as valuable. We bring to you a look at the Top 10 point guards in college basketball based on what we have seen thus far in the year.

Be sure check back as we will break down the top 10 shooting guards in our next preview…

#10 – Greivis Vasquez (Maryland Terrapins)

Greivis Vasquez got off to a terrible start this year, but has turned that around over the past few games. Vasquez averaged just 7.5 points through the first 4 games of the year, but has rallied averaging 17 points over the past 5 games. The Maryland Terrapins senior have averaged over 17 points in his last two seasons and is carrying a solid mark of 5.8 assists per game this year. The problem with Vasquez is that he is very inconsistent and just shooting 35% on the year. However, the biggest problem is that he has a big problem with ball control as he has given up 32 turnovers in just 9 games and that part of his game must change.

#9 – Devan Downey (South Carolina Gamecocks)

Devan Downey is a feisty little guy that has not gotten off to a great start this year, but is an excellent player. Downey has carried South Carolina over the last two year’s despite any big success as a team. Downey averaged 20 points, 5 assist, and led the SEC with 3 steals per game last season. Downey is currently averaging 17.6 point per game which is not bad at all considering he has struggled a bit in his most recent outings. However, he still has a good chance to reach 2,000 career points and flirt with 500 assist for his career. Keep an eye on this guy as his stock will rise before all is said and done.

#8 – Kemba Walker (Connecticut Huskies)

Kemba Walker is a guy that understands what it takes to be a point guard. He runs the Huskies offense very well and gets the ball to the right guys. Walker had a decent freshman campaign averaging 9 points and 3 assists per game, but he should improve those numbers a good bit this year. Walker has already had a couple big performances this year and is averaging 5.6 assists and 15 points per game not to mention shooting 50% from behind the arc. He has hinted that he can be a big time player, but may need to develop into a bigger scoring threat before he can really show all his potential.

#7 – Jon Scheyer (Duke Blue Devils)

Blue Devils senior guard Jon Scheyer may like some of the god gifted ability as some of our other guards on our list, but makes up for it with a great knowledge of the game and accurate shooting stroke. Scheyer is the only guy outside of Kyle Singler that returned to the Blue Devils roster this season that had quality playing time last year. So far Scheyer 16 points per game and a very solid 5.3 assists. Another interesting aspect that is growing attention is the fact of how well Scheyer handles the ball. Scheyer has just 5 turnovers in the Blue Devils first 8 games which should have Coach K pleased.

#6 – Nic Wise (Arizona Wildcats)

Despite a disastrous 4-5 start by the Wildcats, Nic Wise has continued to play well. Wise has posted 16 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game this season. The Wildcats senior is one of those guys that just goes out and puts up consistent numbers while rarely having any horrible performances. At the end of last year, Wise scored at least double digits in 14 of his last 15 outings. Wise also sports a career 3 point percentage over 40% which will help his draft status at the end of the year if he continues to play well.

#5 – Jerome Randle (California Golden Bears)

Jerome Randle is a 4 year starter that has reached his prime for the Golden Bears. In fact if California was among the top teams in the nation, Randle may be a household name. Randle not only led the team averaging 18 points last year; he also leads the team this season averaging nearly 20 points per game. Not only is Randle have an excellent touch of the ball, he really finds ways for his guys to get high percentage shots and carries a 5 assists per game average. It is also worth mentioning that Randle leads all of college basketball averaging 93.5% from the free-throw line.

#4 – Scottie Reynolds (Villanova Wildcats)

Scottie Reynolds is a guy that for some reason or another has not received a ton of praise in the national spotlight. Not to say he has not been given credit, but perhaps not as much as he deserves. Reynolds got really hot at the end of last year as has recently started getting hot again. On the year, the Wildcats senior is averaging 16 points, 4.2 assists, and 2 steals per game. Add to the fact Reynolds has scored at least 22 points in each of his last 3 outings, he may be a reason Villanova is another Cinderella type story again in March.

#3 – Kalin Lucas (Michigan State Spartans)

Kalin Lucas holds the top point guard spot in the Big Ten and his importance to the Spartans success is critical. Lucas now in his junior year is averaging 17 points per game with 4.5 assists. Lucas also not known for posting tremendous scoring numbers has shot the ball well this year especially behind the arc where he has knocked down 44% through his first 9 games. It was the Spartans last year who made a late charge in the NCAA Tournament capturing a shot at the National Title before falling to North Carolina. It was also Lucas has knocked down right at 20 points in both of the big games against Connecticut and Kansas during the tournament. Lucas has proved time and time again he is the guy to carry the Spartans when they need it as he will be for the rest of the year.

#2 – John Wall (Kentucky Wildcats)

John Wall is without any doubt the biggest impact freshman in the country and heads up an amazing group of youngsters at Kentucky that could contend for a National Title in John Calipari’s first year as coach. Wall has averaged 18 points per game and ranks 4th in the nation with 7.1 assists per game. Wall has the frame for like a small forward at 6’4, but excellent ball handling skills and ability to slice to the lane quickly. It also is worth mentioning that he has had some great performances against top notch competition like North Carolina and a season high 25 points in a 3 point win over Connecticut. Known a year ago as the #1 recruit in the nation, Wall is on his way to becoming the #1 player in the nation. The freshman has had a great start, but let’s let him prove he can keep it going.

#1 – Sherron Collins (Kansas Jayhawks)

Sherron Collins entered the season as the number 1 point guard in the nation, but he is feeling a lot of pressure from John Wall. However, Collins is an experienced senior that has proven himself in the big games and there is still a long season to be played. Collins is a following a junior campaign in which he averaged 19 points and 5 assist per game even though he is just averaging just 13 points and 4 assist through his first 9 games this season. The thing is that Collins has not had to do much yet this year with Xavier Henry shooting the ball so well, but expect that to change as the season progresses. Also, Collins is still the most complete point guard at this time and understands the game at the college level better than anyone.