The NBA has been flooded by a talented group of young point guards. Three of the past four No. ?1 picks play that position — Kyrie Irving, John Wall and Derrick Rose. And the 2009 draft, in which power forward Blake Griffin was the top pick, produced eight current starting point guards. But the influx may be coming to a drastic halt. There’s not a single point guard projected to be a lottery pick in 2012. They all have major flaws, but which collegiate point guard has the best chance of making an impact in the NBA? 5. Scott Machado, Iona » College basketball’s assists leader at 10.2 a game can be a magician with the ball in his hands. But the senior is slightly undersized at 6-foot-1, plays in the MAAC and is already 21 years old.
4. Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas » The senior is having a breakout season, averaging 16.6 points and 5.0 assists a game for the No. 5 team in the country. But his turnovers have jumped to 3.8 a game, and he’s also 21 years old.
3. Marquis Teague, Kentucky » The freshman would benefit from staying another year in college. While he shows flashes of explosiveness, his decision-making is questionable, and he turns the ball over way too much.
2. Tony Wroten Jr., Washington ?» He’s athletic and has ideal size at 6-5, but he drastically needs to improve his shooting. Wroten has made just seven of 36 3-pointers and shoots 54.9 percent from the free throw line.
1. Kendall Marshall, North Carolina » The sophomore who played at O’Connell has great vision, averaging 9.5 assists a game this season. But he is not very athletic and struggles to create his own shot, averaging just 5.9 points a game.
– Jeffrey Tomik
