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 thrill of college football thrives off the unexpected. The surprise teams, upsets, and breakout players compose the perfect package to real excitement. The always present “anything can happen” factor has become a motto for college football. Also, we love to cheer on players who have achieved great things. It’s hard not to applaud achievements by the likes of a Tim Tebow or a Sam Bradford. Each year you know there is going to be another group of athletes to make their mark among the top players in the nation. We give those players their respected spotlight and applaud their performances. On the other side of the story lines, there are just as many disappointment stories with each season of football. Those players who fail to reach the high expectations put forth by fans and the media. Often times these players are just forgotten and fall out of the limelight. However, we are going to change that as we bring some of those disappointment stories center stage. Take a look as we break down the Top 5 biggest letdown players for the 2009 season from the offensive side of the ball.

#5. RB C.J Spiller (Clemson Tigers)

C.J Spiller shared carries during his first 3 years at Clemson with the talented power rushing back of James Davis. However, heading into the 2009 season Spiller was going to be the guy that got the work load which had Tigers fans with a ton of anticipation given Spiller game changing ability. The buzz out of the ACC and Clemson had built up a Heisman Campaign for Spiller in expectations of his big senior season. However, thus far in the season Spiller has yet to prove he has what it takes to be an every down running back. Spiller has made a bunch of big plays this year, but most of those have been from the kick and punt returns. Spiller has produced just 360 yards through 5 games and has failed to reach the century mark in all 3 ACC conference games. Actually most of the early success from the Clemson offense has come from the arm of freshman quarterback Kyle Parker, in result to Spiller’s struggles. The Tigers rushing attack has been just average after being advertised as one of the best the ACC has to offer. More importantly with Spiller receiving all the carries, it has really hurt him in the eyes of the NFL. He has yet to prove he can be an affective every down back and the only true danger he has presented to opposing teams this season has been as a return specialist. Spiller’s lack of productivity has just added to a growing list of disappointments coming out of Clemson in the last few years.

#4. QB Juice Williams (Illinois Illini)

Juice Williams had a breakout senior campaign for the Illini. The Illinois quarterback threw for 3,173 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2008 while rushing for another 719 additional yards. The big year gave many fans the indication that Williams would be an unstoppable force in his senior year. Those expectations had Illinois listed as one of the best offenses in the Big Ten entering 2009 with Williams at quarterback and WR Arrelious Benn. However, the Illini have been anything but explosive this season during their disappointing 1-4 start and the problem has been where they least expected on the offensive side of the ball. Outside of the Illini’s thrashing over an inferior Illinois State team 45-17, the team is 0-4. Williams has been a big disappointment completing just 54% on the season and only 628 yards after 5 games. After throwing for 3,000 plus yards a season ago, the Illini quarterback is on track to throw for less than 1,500 yards. Williams has 4 interceptions on the season to just 2 touchdowns and the Illinois offense has averaged just 10 points per game in their 4 losses on the season. The questionable performance by Williams has even caused the Illini to explore options with quarterback Eddie McGee as they continue to try to find some solutions for an offense that was suppose to be carried by Williams this season.

#3. RB Charles Scott (LSU Tigers)

The LSU Tigers were predicted to be among the top teams in the SEC this season and so far they have lived up to those expectations despite falling short to Florida in a big battle Saturday night. However, the main expectations on offense relied on the certainty of running back Charles Scott. The Tigers struggled offensively in 2008, but Scott was the lone bright spot on the team. Scott carried the offense racking up nearly 1,200 yards on the ground. Entering the season, LSU was expected to be among the best rushing teams in the SEC behind Scott in his senior season along with the help of Keiland Williams. However, the Tigers have failed to run the ball ranking near the very bottom of the SEC. Scott has produced just 276 yards in 6 games. The senior tailback had minimal expectations of reaching the 1,000 yard plateau again and there were many who predicted him to lead the SEC in rushing for 2009. However, Scott is on track to barely break the 500 yard mark. Outside of a big play to beat Georgia, Scott has provided absolutely nothing for the LSU offense to be cheerful about. Also if that does not change down the stretch, there is no way LSU will stay in the hunt for an SEC Championship because you have to be able run the ball in the SEC to contend.

#2.RB LaGarrette Blount (Oregon Ducks)

It did not take long for LaGarrette Blount to become one of the biggest disappointments of the season. Blount was poised to be a big threat to the Ducks rushing offense this season along side QB Jeremiah Masoli. However, in the Ducks opener to Boise State everything went wrong. Not only was Blount shutdown completely getting 8 carries for negative 5 yards, but the Ducks running back would never get a chance to redeem himself. The Ducks offense was embarrassed in their opener on the big stage falling to the Broncos 19-8. However, it was not till after the game till things really got out of hand. After being taunted in the post game celebration, Blount let his emotions get the best of him throwing a punch that landed on Byron Hout of Boise State. Blount then went on a rampage even making move towards fans on the exit ramps which was a completely embarrassing reflection on the Ducks organization. The outrage cost Blount his last year of eligibility considering he was suspended one day later for the rest of the season. Good news for Oregon fans is the Ducks have really come on strong since the shameful opener, but Blount still remains a huge disappointment.

#1. QB Jevan Snead (Mississippi Rebels)

Jevan Snead led the Mississippi Rebels on a scoring rampage to end the 2008 season displaying pinpoint accuracy while proving he had the talent to make all the throws on the field. The late season performance was so strong that it had the media and fans in Oxford raving over their new found superstar at quarterback. Snead was labeled as “the best pure quarterback in the SEC.” The media and college experts predicted great things and another big year from the Rebels quarterback in 2009. Snead’s praises even had him on preseason Heisman ballots and NFL scouts were already making plans to watch games live and get an up close encounter with possibly the next top quarterback to come out of the college ranks. However, things have been quite different in 2009. Not only has the Rebels offense struggled as a whole, but Snead has been anything but a leader behind center.

The Rebels quarterback got off to a mediocre start before SEC play got underway. However in Snead’s first big game of the year with all NFL scouts on hand, the Rebels star had the worse performance of his career going 7 of 21 for just 107 yards in a loss to South Carolina. The lackluster performance was though to just be a fluke, but since Snead has thrown 7 interceptions in the last 2 games including 4 yesterday against Alabama. In the Rebels two losses to quality SEC teams, Snead has thrown 18 for 55 and 247 yards. The Rebels who were once ranked as high as number 4 in the country have fallen outside the Top 25 with an offense that just can not move the ball. It is safe to say that Snead has easily been the biggest letdown of any single player in college football this season as the Rebels have went from an SEC offensive powerhouse a team that is averaging just 6.6 points per game in their first 3 SEC match-ups.

The 2009 College Football Season has been filled with many unexpected outcomes. It seems like just when you think you got a team figured out they disappoint those expectations. Until this past weekend a top 5 team had been beaten every week of the season and there has been many more upsets as well. We have seen highly rank teams drop and new faces emerge in the rankings. However, if anything is clear for the 2009 season it is that the rankings have not had any type of significant importance. Perhaps it is hard to rank teams when there are so many others that are equally talented. Every week new rankings are releases and more questions arise. Do not get caught up with some team’s polls perceptions as rankings can be very misleading especially at this point in the season. California was ranked as high as 6th just two weeks ago and find themselves outside the top 25. Then you look at the Miami Hurricanes who were barely receiving preseason votes to be ranked, and Hurricanes have been ranked as high as 9th this season. Our goal is to breakdown a few teams in the Top 25 to see who exactly are contenders and those that are pretenders.

Pretenders

No. 4 LSU Tigers (4-0)

The LSU Tigers got their biggest win of the season in dramatic fashion last weekend 20-13 over the previously ranked no. 18 Georgia Bulldogs. However, LSU has not been very impressive in their 4-0 start. The Tigers barely escaped an opener at Washington and had to overcome 3 straight defensive stands from the 1 yard line to beat Mississippi State. It seems like LSU keeps finding ways to win. Running back Charles Scott broke open a 33 yard touchdown run with 46 seconds to go to take down the Bulldogs in another exciting finish. However, the Tigers luck is going to run out especially when they take on top ranked Florida this week. LSU has bigger concerns than the Gators as how they will finish the season. The offense ranks 99th overall producing just 321 yards per game. Those offensive numbers have to improve against the SEC defenses which are among the best in the country. The Tigers top 5 ranked Florida and Alabama in the next 4 weeks and also a meeting with no. 17 Auburn in that stretch as well. If they continue under performing, they could easily go 1-3 in their next 4 games.

Oklahoma Sooners (2-2)

Surely, Sooners fans still have beliefs they can still win the Big 12 considering both of their losses were to out of conference teams and sure both of their losses have been to ranked teams. However, they are still in considerable trouble through the remainder of the year. The team has multiple problems and not necessarily referring to Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford. Backup QB Landry Jones has thrown the ball well completing 60% with 10 touchdowns. However, the Sooners offense is nowhere near the dominant form they were in 2008. Outside of Ryan Broyles, the young receivers are struggling to make plays. Running backs DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown do not have huge holes as they did last season. With those misfires, the Sooners have scored just 33 points in their two biggest games of the season against Miami and BYU. The Sooners main big offensive games were against inferior teams like Idaho State and Tulsa. They will have to work out a lot of kinks quickly as Baylor, Texas, and Kansas and next up on the schedule.

No. 20 Mississippi Rebels (3-1)

The Rebels received a ton of high expectations entering the season behind coach Houston Nutt and quarterback Jevan Snead. Nutt turned the program around last season capturing 9 wins nearly more than the Rebels have accumulated in the 3 previous seasons. QB Jevan Snead sparked an offense at the end of 2008 that became one of the most feared in the SEC. A lot of attention was drawn to Snead this season as NFL and Heisman talk buzzed around Oxford. Wide receivers Shay Hodge and Dexter McCluster gave even more reason to expect big things on offense. However, the offense has yet to be explosive as they were a season ago averaging just 19 points per game in their first two SEC contest. The Rebels lost the SEC opener to South Carolina after reaching their highest ranking in 40 years at number 4 in the country. However not only has the offense been questionable, but so has quarterback Jevan Snead. Snead has completing just 51% this season while throwing 5 interceptions in 4 games. The letdown behind center has many wondering if the Rebels quarterback may have been high over rated or will he bounce back? The Rebels slow start is not going to get any better if they don’t pick up the pace with their brutal SEC schedule that will face no. 3 Alabama this weekend.

Contenders

No. 23 South Florida Bulls (5-0)

The Bulls lost their senior quarterback and leader in Matt Grothe to a knee injury for the season in their 3rd game of the season. The huge loss appeared to have dampened South Florida’s chances at having a successful season. However, nobody told backup quarterback B.J Daniels. The freshman quarterback has matured quickly throwing for 180 yards per game in 3 starts and rushing for another 263 yards in those 3 games as well. The Bulls have not lost a step beating the likes of Florida State and Syracuse convincingly. The Bulls defense has held opponents to an impressive 9.4 points per game and may be the best defense in the Big East. The Bulls face their biggest game of the season when they host Cincinnati this weekend. If somehow they can capture a win this young team confidence may never come down. However even with a loss, South Florida is still going to be a force in the Big East this season.

No. 17 Auburn Tigers (5-0)

The Auburn Tigers have not received a lot of attention this season, but the media is starting to catch on to the fact that Alabama is not the only team in the state that has a chance at an SEC Championship. The Tigers offensive has exploded averaging over 500 yards per game and ranking 5th overall in the nation. The impressive thing about the offense is they are very balanced. Running backs Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb have combined for well over 900 yards in just 5 games along with 5 touchdowns. Todd has posted over 1,230 yards in just 5 games with 12 touchdowns and only 1 interception. The balanced threat has also given Auburn the number 5 ranked scoring offense posting 41 points per game. The Tigers just received a top 25 ranking after last week’s win over Tennessee and their offense is going to keep them in the rankings for some time. Auburn is an impressive 4-1 ATS this season as a profitable money maker which could likely continue. The Tigers are going to have a chance to really make some more noise this season as well. Auburn gets manageable meetings with Kentucky and Arkansas next on the schedule which should place them nicely at 7-0 before their trip to LSU. However, there is not a game left on the schedule that they can not win.

No. 13 Oregon Ducks (4-1)

The Oregon Ducks were embarrassed by Boise State in a sloppy opener to the college football season. The 19-8 loss seen by millions critically wounded the Ducks perceptions as most had written off the team for the rest of the year. However, the Ducks have been consistently improving each week since their loss and now they are firing as an explosive offensive team. The Ducks completely crushed California who was at the time ranked 6th 42-3, then backed that up with a blowout over Washington State this past week 52-6. Freshman LaMichael James has played well stepping in for LaGarrette Blount who was suspended for the punch thrown in the opener. James has rushed for 429 yards in 4 games carrying an impressive 6 yards per carry average. Jeremiah Masoli remains a dual threat behind center and is also playing well. The Ducks re-emergence has taken the books by surprise as they are 3-0 ATS in their last 3 games. The Ducks now appear to be on track to contend for Pac-10 Title. Considering how well the defense has played over the last few games along with their improving offense, a championship may not be out of the question.

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The dog days of summer are vastly approaching and for sports fans that means that baseball will soon be the only major sport making the headlines. For a large majority of sports enthusiasts that do not stay on track with baseball, the most of us we will be counting down the days to the first kickoff of the 2009 football season. The 2009 College Football season promises to be exciting as ever. Tim Tebow will try and lead the Florida Gators to their 3rd National Title in 4 years. Florida will be one of the leading favorites again for teams to win the 2009 National Championship along with some familiar faces in Oklahoma and Texas. However, we will take a brief look at the teams who are staging to emerge into the national spotlight this year who are among the less coveted teams in the nation. Take a look as we break down our top 5 sleeper teams to make a name for themselves in 2009.

#5 – Boise State Broncos

It is hard to pick a team that went undefeated in the regular season in 2008 as a sleeper, but that is the case with the Broncos this season. The main reason they grab this spot is they have a great chance at snatching the BCS automatic bid in 2009. The reason is that the Broncos have a cupcake schedule very similar to last year’s undefeated regular season. Outside of Oregon, Boise State could walk through the regular season without losing a game and not even have to be playing their best football. Add to the fact some of the top teams will have pretty hectic schedules this year and Boise State could be sitting pretty by season’s end. The Broncos defense lost a few players, but having Kellen Moore in control of the offense should be enough to pick up any slack. If the Broncos run through another regular season undefeated, and most teams are sitting with two losses they could make their way into a BCS Bowl Game. Not to mention the BCS will be more anxious to get a non-BCS team in after Utah stunned Alabama last year in the Sugar Bowl.

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#4 – Florida State Seminoles

A decade ago you would have never considered Florida State as an underdog type team. However, the Seminoles have been missing from College Football’s main stage for quite some time now. However, Florida State showed steps in the right direction in 2008 anchored by a strong defensive group. The Seminoles will return 8 starters on the defensive side of the ball and will likely be among the best in the nation on that side of the ball. The Seminoles could use some explosive offensive threats that would really make them dangerous. Christian Ponder will be the man behind center and that could be either the rise or fall for Florida State this season. The Seminoles have a great chance snatching ACC Championship honors this season if everything goes well. The Seminoles will attempt to capture a 10 win season which would surprisingly be their first since 2002.

#3 – California Golden Bears

California was a solid team in 2008 and they have a lot to build off heading into this season. The Golden Bears were not run over by any team last year and they will return 17 starters from their 2008 campaign. While I am sure many will disagree, I believe the Golden Bears could really make a run at the Pac-10 title this year. One of the main reasons is Jahvid Best at running back. Best was at his best towards the end of last season averaging 210 yards over the final 3 games and racking up over 1,500 yards on the season. The Golden Bears will rely on Kevin Riley behind center this season and he should have a progressive year. The California defense should be another unit that shows improvement from 2008 as well. The Bears had a top 25 defense last season and could be a good bit better heading into 2009.

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#2 – Oklahoma State Cowboys

Oklahoma State has a great chance to bust out from the big shadows of Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12 this season. The high powered scoring conference will not lack any need for points this year and Oklahoma State could possibly have the best offense of anyone. Oklahoma State finished 9-4 a year ago, but they played everyone very well including Texas who barely escaped an upset in Lubbock 28-24. The Cowboys look to return nearly the exact same offense this season. The offense has all the makings to post huge numbers and could easily become one of the best in the conference. That’s right this offense can compete with anyone. Quarterback Zach Robinson and running back Kendall Hunter should provide the type of balance needed to stay effective. On top of their tremendous potential on offense, Oklahoma State should not be too bad on the defensive side of the ball as well. The Cowboys could use a little bit of help in the secondary, but should have strong enough rushing defense to hang with anyone in the conference. The Cowboys get Texas and Texas Tech at home while finishing the season at Oklahoma. If the ball bounces there way, this team could catch fire.

#1 – Mississippi Rebels

The Rebels were our team to watch out for last season in the SEC and we think they will be a team to watch out for among the national ranks in 2009. Houston Nutt should have possibly been the Coach of the Year for his amazing work he did turning around the Ole Miss program last season, but rather that award actually went to Nick Saban at Alabama. Mississippi finished 2nd in the SEC West last season and really did not get any rhythm until the latter part of the year. The Rebels lost back to back close games against South Carolina and Alabama before winning their last 6 games including a blowout over the high powered offense of Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. QB Jevan Snead really showed some great signs at quarterback last year and could be on the verge of a breakout season in 2009. Add to the fact the Rebels were the only team to beat Florida last season, and they have the most upside of any team with 4 losses from 2008. The defense should be another solid unit similar to last season’s team that ranked 19th nationally. Mississippi will get South Carolina on a Thursday night game and Alabama two weeks later early in the season. If the Rebels can get off to a fast start, there may be nobody that can stop them throughout the rest of the season.