Sporting News' top 10 Shooting Guards: Boatright is 11

[tcf15]

Found this while checking out the top 10 power forwards thread from HooperScooper. No UConn player on this list, but they did have Boat as #11:

Now that we’ve mastered the habit of not placing a “w” in Ryan Boatright’s last name, it’s downright painful not to find a place for him on the list of top college basketball shooting guards for the 2013-14 season. It hurt more than leaving off UCLA’s Jordan Adams, Iowa’s Devyn Marble and even Kentucky freshman Aaron Harrison, who might be UK’s most important player because of the need for someone to make shots but certainly won’t be the star with Julius Randle up front and Aaron’s twin brother Andrew playing the point. Boatright is a terrific college player. He’s part of a dynamic Connecticut backcourt that is the greatest reason the Huskies are part of Sporting News’ preseason top 25. But it’s clear by now that Shabazz Napier is the leader of that backcourt, and it’s also clear the 10 players we ranked instead of Boatright are all outstanding. And there’s no way to have a top-10 list with 11 players.

And, if anyone is interested, here is the top 10:

1. Gary Harris, sophomore, Michigan State
2. Russ Smith, senior, Louisville
3. Rasheed Sulaimon, sophmore, Duke
4. Tyler Haws, junior, BYU
5. Spencer Dinwiddie, junior, Colorado
6. Jordan McRae, senior, Tennessee
7. Marshall Henderson, senior, Ole Miss
8. Sean Kilpatrick, senior, Cincinnati
9. Joe Harris, senior, Virginia
10. Semaj Christon, sophomore, Xavier

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-ba...oting-guards-russ-smith?modid=recommended_4_5

 

[Rico444]

A terrific player? Doesn't Sporting News know Boatright is a ball hog who only cares about himself? It can't be that some people here are talking out of their ass...can it?

 

[mauconnfan]

Weak position when Sulaimon is #3.........the kid is pretty good but not Top 5

 

[aceboon]

Can't speak on everybody on the list but he'll be better than that shotjacking assclown Henderson.

 

[UC990411]

Weak position when Sulaimon is #3.........the kid is pretty good but not Top 5

Of course if he played here instead of Duke it would be the perfect spot

 

[CTBasketball]

Really don't get why Russ Smith is not ranked #1 on all these polls. Sure Harris is good, but he didn't win the National Championship.

 

[James]

I'm still unclear how ole miss was winning games last year. it was like watching a pick up game where one guy is gettin up shots for the team. anyway I hear boat is working harder than ever on his game can't wait to see him play.

 

[huskyharry]

In all the polls the writers seem to be confused and mix up the concepts of: 1)most desirable NBA draft prospect with 2) most effective college player/valuable to their college team. Russ Smith and RB are strong category #2 players but not #1. Gary Harris is much stronger as a #1 than #2 because he has the requisite size that the NBA wants.
Same thing happened in the PG poll where Marcus Smart is listed as the top PG, primarily because of his projected NBA draft projection.

 

[CL82]

It's not where you start the season, it's where you finish. This will be Boatshow's second full season playing. I fully expect his decision making to catch up with his freakish athleticism. It will be a big, big year for Ryan. Mark it down.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Really don't get why Russ Smith is not ranked #1 on all these polls. Sure Harris is good, but he didn't win the National Championship.

I can't tell if this is sarcasm or not. How does the national championship figure into a ranking of individual players?

 

[seanmc94]

List is a complete joke. Half the guys on the list can't carry Bryce Cotton jock on a bad day. More bulliten board material.

 

[Kitaman]

List is a complete joke. Half the guys on the list can't carry Bryce Cotton jock on a bad day. More bulliten board material.

While I agree that Cotton is legit, it would help him some if he was able to play in a post season contest of value. Its the peecee curse he's subjected to, which is no notoriety. Unfortunately it will probably get worse in the new BE, containing virtually no Championship pedigree teams of recent years.

 

[BoatShow]

Marshall Henderson is an embarrassment.

 

[Scot-e]

List is a complete joke. Half the guys on the list can't carry Bryce Cotton jock on a bad day. More bulliten board material.

I agree with this 100%. However- as an example- last year UCONN was not mentioned nearly as much in years past because we were banned for post season play. You guys unfortunately are in that position most years therefor he get over looked.

 

[Huskybass]

List is a complete joke. Half the guys on the list can't carry Bryce Cotton jock on a bad day. More bulliten board material.

Division II players don't count.

 

[Huskyforlife]

List is a complete joke. Half the guys on the list can't carry Bryce Cotton jock on a bad day. More bulliten board material.

read my mind

 

[tentoes4rings]

It's not where you start the season, it's where you finish. This will be Boatshow's second full season playing. I fully expect his decision making to catch up with his freakish athleticism. It will be a big, big year for Ryan. Mark it down.

While I've been critical of Ryan at times, I think we have to give the kid the benefit of the doubt to improve significantly from his sophomore to junior year. Up until now his skills have shined brightest when he's off the ball and can utilize his insane athleticism. But at 5'10" on a good day, he'll need to shine as a point guard, for us to have a chance of fulfilling our extreme potential and to have any chance to play in the NBA.

We've seen Kemba, KO and many other pgs benefit immensely from that extra year of physical and mental maturity. If he can curtail his over-penetration, be more consistent with his jumper and exhibit more of a desire to look good by helping make others good, I expect a big year out of him, I'm with CL82 on this one and am really excited about watching Boat play for us at least one more year. That's just my 2 cents though, nothing is etched in stone until Freescooter places his stamp of approval of course.

 

[bmayuc]

Found this while checking out the top 10 power forwards thread from HooperScooper. No UConn player on this list, but they did have Boat as #11:

And, if anyone is interested, here is the top 10:

1. Gary Harris, sophomore, Michigan State
2. Russ Smith, senior, Louisville
3. Rasheed Sulaimon, sophmore, Duke
4. Tyler Haws, junior, BYU
5. Spencer Dinwiddie, junior, Colorado
6. Jordan McRae, senior, Tennessee
7. Marshall Henderson, senior, Ole Miss
8. Sean Kilpatrick, senior, Cincinnati
9. Joe Harris, senior, Virginia
10. Semaj Christon, sophomore, Xavier

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2013-06-11/college-basketball-player-rankings-2013-14-top-10-shooting-guards-russ-smith?modid=recommended_4_5[/quote]

Holy crap. What happened to the 2G in college basketball. that list is an embarrassment!

 

[Tenspro2002]

Holy crap. What happened to the 2G in college basketball. that list is an embarrassment!

The college 2-guard is a position that doesn't really exist in the NBA. Guys with better handles play the point; taller guys who play the small forward in college -- think Ray and Rip -- end up playing the 2 in the NBA.

That list is a bunch of tweeners who are going to have to radically improve their ballhandling to play PG in the NBA, or get lucky enough to be drafted by a team willing to go exceptionally small.

 

[bmayuc]

The college 2-guard is a position that doesn't really exist in the NBA. Guys with better handles play the point; taller guys who play the small forward in college -- think Ray and Rip -- end up playing the 2 in the NBA.

That list is a bunch of tweeners who are going to have to radically improve their ballhandling to play PG in the NBA, or get lucky enough to be drafted by a team willing to go exceptionally small.

This is partially true, but it doesnt explain why the tweeners are so terrible. I mean none of these guys are even national names.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Brochacho]

This is partially true, but it doesnt explain why the tweeners are so terrible. I mean none of these guys are even national names.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

I'm pretty sure Russ Smith and Gary Harris are well known. But I'm not sure, just my opinion.

 

[freescooter]

I sort of agree with a lot of what has been written here. The over-riding point is that shooting guards in college are sort of like running quarterbacks. Mostly they don't exist in the pros unless they have beyond exceptional talent. Boatright is i think a pretty good example. Doesn't have the kind of handle, or the decision-making skills to be more than a part time point. His NBA potential is limited by that even if he wasn't 5-10 which makes it almost impossible. He's a good scorer who will likely improve if he stays 4 years, but again, why wouldn't he. Unless he just turns into some incredible scoring machine this year, he isn't going to end up in the NBA.

 

[bmayuc]

I'm pretty sure Russ Smith and Gary Harris are well known. But I'm not sure, just my opinion.

I meant as a group, unless you are a true hoops junky, that "top 10" list is pretty pathetic.