CBS Sports: Ranking the top 10 backcourts in college basketball | The Boneyard

CBS Sports: Ranking the top 10 backcourts in college basketball

HooperScooper

HooperScooper

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#10? I'll take UConn's backcourt over most of these teams. Not sure why Ball isn't in the "Backcourt Prediction".

10. UConn Huskies​

Backcourt prediction: PG Malachi Smith, SG Braylon Mullins, CG Silas Demary Jr.

This ranking is another indicator of the belief I have in the coach and the system the program runs. Dan Hurley will get the most out of this bunch and the talent is upgraded from last season to boot. Demary (Georgia transfer) and Mullins (five-star freshman) are stars in their roles on defense and on offense, respectively, and Smith (Dayton transfer) is a needed presence at point guard who can upgrade their playmaking. Smith was second among all Atlantic 10 players in assists per game (5.3) last season and 44th nationally in assist/turnover ratio.

Those fresh new faces will pair well with returning guard Solo Ball, who for my money can make a run at Big East Player of the Year this season. Ball bounced from 3.3 points in 2023-24 to 14.4 per game last season and shot a scorching 41.4% on 3-pointers. He can play both on and off the ball, but his 84th percentile finish last season on catch-and-shoots suggests he could flourish off it, especially paired with an elite ball-mover at point in Smith and other capable playmakers including Demary.

www.cbssports.com

Ranking the top 10 backcourts in college basketball: Alabama, Kentucky, Florida have top guards

The SEC claims three of the top five in our definitive rankings of the top 10 backcourts in college basketball in 2025-26
www.cbssports.com www.cbssports.com
 
I'm confused about why he has SJU above UConn when they literally don't even have a PG, but then doesn't even list Solo Ball in our starting backcourt while also saying "Solo Ball can make a run at Big East Play of the Year." Lol...just makes zero sense. So Solo Ball could be the BEPOY but not start as our 2 guard? What?
 
Solo isn't in the backcourt? I'm not saying they are wrong, but its crazy that those guys only rank #10.

I'd add Solo in and figure this group has got to be top 5-6 at least.
 
Ridiculous. And Florida continues to be overrated. Their Gs last year were the strength of the team and they were approximately 100x better than this years Gs. Arkansas’ season turned around after fland got benched
 
Last edited:
HooperScooper said:
#10? I'll take UConn's backcourt over most of these teams. Not sure why Ball isn't in the "Backcourt Prediction".

10. UConn Huskies​

Backcourt prediction: PG Malachi Smith, SG Braylon Mullins, CG Silas Demary Jr.

This ranking is another indicator of the belief I have in the coach and the system the program runs. Dan Hurley will get the most out of this bunch and the talent is upgraded from last season to boot. Demary (Georgia transfer) and Mullins (five-star freshman) are stars in their roles on defense and on offense, respectively, and Smith (Dayton transfer) is a needed presence at point guard who can upgrade their playmaking. Smith was second among all Atlantic 10 players in assists per game (5.3) last season and 44th nationally in assist/turnover ratio.

Those fresh new faces will pair well with returning guard Solo Ball, who for my money can make a run at Big East Player of the Year this season. Ball bounced from 3.3 points in 2023-24 to 14.4 per game last season and shot a scorching 41.4% on 3-pointers. He can play both on and off the ball, but his 84th percentile finish last season on catch-and-shoots suggests he could flourish off it, especially paired with an elite ball-mover at point in Smith and other capable playmakers including Demary.

www.cbssports.com

Ranking the top 10 backcourts in college basketball: Alabama, Kentucky, Florida have top guards

The SEC claims three of the top five in our definitive rankings of the top 10 backcourts in college basketball in 2025-26
www.cbssports.com www.cbssports.com
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Hoophound said:
Solo isn't in the backcourt? I'm not saying they are wrong, but its crazy that those guys only rank #10.

I'd add Solo in and figure this group has got to be top 5-6 at least.
Expand ...

I mean the article lists three newcomers and then has a whole paragraph on Ball. Maybe the editing was awkward but to me it looks like one paragraph on newcomers to UConn and one paragraph on Ball.
EDIT: I'd also lean towards crappy editing with their predictor not having Ball on it. Quality news is not what it used to be.

Screenshot 2025-10-15 200913.jpg
 
bendm said:
Ridiculous. And Florida continues to be overrated. Their Gs last year were the strength of the team and they were approximately 100x better than this years Gs. Arkansas’ season turned around after fland got benched
Expand ...
I can honestly see a backcourt of Fland and a Princeton transfer being combustible. I really have to see that work to believe it. There were some reports out of Arkansas that teammates disliked Fland to the point no one would give him a hand when he hit the deck.
 
bendm said:
Ridiculous. And Florida continues to be overrated. Their Gs last year were the strength of the team and they were approximately 100x better than this years Gs. Arkansas’ season turned around after fland got benched
Expand ...
www.espn.com

Gators to start Fland at PG with Lee sharing role

Florida coach Todd Golden says Boogie Fland will start at point guard for the defending National Champions, with fellow transfer Xaivian Lee sharing ballhandling duties during the upcoming season.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 
aburks41 said:
I'm confused about why he has SJU above UConn when they literally don't even have a PG, but then doesn't even list Solo Ball in our starting backcourt while also saying "Solo Ball can make a run at Big East Play of the Year." Lol...just makes zero sense. So Solo Ball could be the BEPOY but not start as our 2 guard? What?
Expand ...
That’s some serious depth if our backup is Bepoy
 
I'd imagine they're considering Ball a wing and he'll be in their next article when Ball, Karaban, Stewart is a top 10 wing group in the country
 
ucp990411 said:
Is anyone else sick of the Braden Smith hype? Somebody actually said he may end up being the greatest point guard in college basketball history.
Expand ...
So many commentators are so Full Of $%*! and just say things to get clicks. So, you are going to tell me that Braden Smith is better than Jayson Williams? Allen Iverson? Bobby Hurley? Kemba Walker... and of course, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Oscar Robertson or Pistol Pete Maravich? As the great John McEnroe used to bellow "YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!!!"

I honestly wish there was a substantive penalty for anyone who says something so moronic and just plain ignorant. Sadly, the worst of the worst commentators seem to get more play because they say such stupid things.

It tells me that person either doesn't do their homework, knows nothing of the history of college basketball, and/or getting clicks and follows by any means possible is way more important to him/her than being factual or truthful.

IDIOT. Plain and simple.
 
navery12 said:
I'd imagine they're considering Ball a wing and he'll be in their next article when Ball, Karaban, Stewart is a top 10 wing group in the country
Expand ...
Didn't they already include Karaban in their frontcourt ranking or is that another article I'm remembering?

This one looks like it missed the editor's desk. Solo as potential BEPOY but not in the starting lineup - Hurley's got options!
 
HW611 said:
Malachi is going to be great for us, but is the assumption that he’ll start over Silas?
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Malachi is a straight up PG. Dishes deluxe passes and has a handle like a german automobile. Silas is a combo guard who can shoot, make plays, make passes and is 6'5" so comps to Tristen Newton in a lot of ways.

Until this we all were told Silas was to start and has a lot of Tristen comps while Malachi on this team could average 13 assists. He's that pass talented and we are very good at catch and make plays.
 
HW611 said:
Malachi is going to be great for us, but is the assumption that he’ll start over Silas?
Expand ...
No, he'd be starting next to Silas. But that means Ball or Mullins isn't starting so it's not happening. He'll get 25 minutes off the bench though
 
bendm said:
Ridiculous. And Florida continues to be overrated. Their Gs last year were the strength of the team and they were approximately 100x better than this years Gs. Arkansas’ season turned around after fland got benched
Expand ...

Yeah, I don't get that one either. They lost all four of their guards from their team last year.

They may have the best returning big man rotation next year though and that will cover a ton of flaws.
 
Lafayette said:
Malachi is a straight up PG. Dishes deluxe passes and has a handle like a german automobile. Silas is a combo guard who can shoot, make plays, make passes and is 6'5" so comps to Tristen Newton in a lot of ways.

Until this we all were told Silas was to start and has a lot of Tristen comps while Malachi on this team could average 13 assists. He's that pass talented and we are very good at catch and make plays.
Expand ...
Oh I read this list wrong I thought it was a list of PGs. I see it says passers now lol
 
caw said:
Yeah, I don't get that one either. They lost all four of their guards from their team last year.

They may have the best returning big man rotation next year though and that will cover a ton of flaws.
Expand ...
I’ll take Reed and Karaban over chenylu and Condon.

Condon maybe the best nba prospect of the 4 but Reed and Karaban will be more productive college players this year. Reed is going to be a walking double double.
 
Last edited:
bendm said:
I’ll take Reed and Karaban over chenylu and Condon.

Condon maybe the best nba prospect of the 4 but Reed and Karaban will be more productive college players this year. Reed is going to be a walking double double.
Expand ...
They have Handlogten, Haugh, Rioux as well. They are incredibly deep in the frontcourt.
 
CardiacAndre7 said:
They have Handlogten, Haugh, Rioux as well. They are incredibly deep in the frontcourt.
Expand ...
I think he was just naming the starting frontcourts for both teams. You can't play more than two slow giants at a time.
 

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