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Duke Basketball: Ranking the Best Point Guards in Blue Devils History
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Duke has almost as much history as any program in college basketball, which means a list of best players at any position is certain to be a good one.
With superstars like Johnny Dawkins, Christian Laettner, J.J. Redick and others, it's often easy to overlook the point guards on each roster. However, these are the men who are usually the leaders on the court, making a major impact on both ends even when it doesn't show up on the stat sheet.
This list only includes real point guards, so Dawkins doesn't count despite racking up a lot of assists throughout his career. He was one of the best players ever to put on a Duke jersey, but he was a shooting guard.
The same qualification can be said about anyone from Jim Spanarkel to Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith. They were primarily 2-guards, which disqualifies them from this list.
Additionally, the rankings are based on each player's impact at Duke, not the NBA or anywhere afterwards. Sorry, Kyrie Irving fans.
With the rules explained, here is a look at the best point guards in Blue Devils history.
Note: Statistics courtesy of Duke's media guide and Sports Reference.
Honorable Mentions
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Steve Wojciechowski (1994-98)
Steve Wojciechowski was either a fan favorite or enemy No. 1, depending on what team you cheered for at the time. He never had big numbers (averaged just 5.4 points and 3.9 assists per game in his career) but still made an impact in every game.
Wojo was especially known for his defense, as he was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1998 while averaging 2.1 steals per game.
However, when you lack offensive numbers and never reach the Final Four, there are clearly better options to be high on this list.
Quin Snyder (1985-89)
Going to three Final Fours in four seasons is a major accomplishment for anyone, which puts Quin Snyder high on the list of Duke players. Although he had a smaller role on the 1986 squad, Snyder was an important part of the 1988 and 1989 runs to the national semifinals.
The current head coach of the Utah Jazz wasn't much of a scorer but ranks fifth in school history with 575 assists.
Although Snyder wasn't one of the best Blue Devils ever, he helped continue the upward trend under Coach Mike Krzyzewski during the late 1980's.
Tyus Jones (2014-15)
Irving could become one of the best former Duke players in the NBA, but he had a limited impact at the college level, playing just 11 games. On the other hand, Tyus Jones took advantage of his time at Duke with one of the best single seasons the school had ever seen.
Jones was the steady leader of the 2015 national champions, a squad primarily composed of freshmen. Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow obviously were important as well, but Jones was the catalyst as a pass-first player who was also capable of stepping up in big moments when needed.
He finished his only season at Duke averaging 11.8 points, 5.6 assists and 1.9 turnovers per game. In fact, his 2.86 assist-to-turnover ratio would be the best in school history if he had enough games to qualify.
Fans probably wish he could have stayed longer, but a national title and great stats make him an elite point guard historically.
5. Tommy Amaker (1983-87)
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The 1982 class—with Johnny Dawkins, Mark Alarie, Jay Bilas and David Henderson—is often credited for helping Krzyzewski transform Duke into a national power. However, the addition of Tommy Amaker in 1983 went a long way.
Amaker was the true point guard the team needed, distributing the ball to all the scorers on the roster while also playing excellent defense. The 1987 National Defensive Player of the Year currently ranks third all time in Duke history in both assists and steals.
When this team reached its peak in 1986, Amaker led the squad with 6.1 assists per game along with his 82.2 percent free-throw shooting. When the seniors left the next season, the guard stepped up more as a scorer and averaged 12.0 points per game alongside eventual All-American Danny Ferry.
The 1985-86 Blue Devils came just short of winning a national title, losing to Louisville in the finals, but this group still represents one of the best starting lineups in school history. Thanks to his work on both ends of the court, Amaker deserves plenty of credit for this success.
4. Chris Duhon (2000-04)
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Chris Duhon had a similar career to Tommy Amaker's. He joined an already loaded roster and helped move another extremely talented guard off the ball at times. He also didn't rack up too many points in his career but rather excelled at tallying assists and steals.
The first difference is Duhon finishing with better numbers in these categories. His 300 steals are the most in Duke history while his 819 career assists rank second all-time. He was also incredible efficient during his career, posting a 2.31 assist-to-turnover ratio.
However, the bigger difference is the fact he was actually able to win a national title alongside Jason Williams and Shane Battier among others in 2001. That team was one of the best in school history and Duhon was right there in the starting lineup, succeeding as a passer and defender who occasionally shot the ball.
He went on to have success with a new cast of characters, including J.J. Redick and Sheldon Williams as part of the 2004 Final Four team. Altogether, Duhon averaged 8.8 points, 5.7 assists and 2.1 steals in an impressive career at Duke.
3. Dick Groat (1949-52)
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Dick Groat had a long career as a baseball player, but prior to that he was one of the first stars in Duke history.
The undersized guard was a two-time All-American, earning the National Player of the Year award in 1952. The previous season he scored 831 total points, a mark that stood as the single-season record at Duke until 2001.
Meanwhile, Groat also had plenty of ability as a playmaker, averaging 7.6 assists per game his final year to go with his 26 points per game. These accomplishments are a major reason he was the first player to have his number retired in 1952.
His No. 10 stands forever in the rafters, and although few got a chance to see him play, there is no doubting him as one of the best Blue Devils point guards of all time.
2. Jay Williams (1999-2002)
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While Chris Duhon's presence moved him off the ball, Jay Williams never stopped being a point guard at Duke. He averaged 6.5 assists per game as a freshman and remained a playmaker throughout his next two years, averaging 6.0 assists in his career.
Only Bobby Hurley averaged more assists per game in his career than Williams.
Of course, Williams was much more than just a passer. He was one of the best scorers in college basketball, averaging 21.4 points per game during his final two years in school. His 841 points scored during his sophomore year rank second most at Duke for a single season behind only J.J. Redick.
These numbers and all-around play helped make him a two-time consensus All-American and 2002 Wooden Award winner as the best player in the country.
Williams won one national title with Duke but could have potentially had more with the teams he was a part of during his three years. After helping the Blue Devils amass a 95-13 record during his time there, it's no wonder his name remains in the rafters with his retired No. 22.
1. Bobby Hurley (1989-93)
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Williams might have been a better scorer, but Bobby Hurley is the best pure point guard Duke ever had.
Hurley is the top assist man in NCAA history, tallying 1,076 in his four-year career. Not only did he average 7.7 assists per game in his career, he was as consistent as they come with all four years above seven per game. He owns four of the top five single-season marks for assists at Duke, with Amaker only beating him on one based on the fact Hurley was limited to just 31 games his junior year.
This passing ability elevated the early 1990s squads to incredible levels. Duke lost in the national title game in Hurley's freshman year but followed that up with back-to-back championships over the next two seasons. Obviously, Christian Laettner and Grant Hill played a big part of this success, but Hurley was just as valuable during this dominant run, one of the best the sport has seen.
When the core of that team left after the 1992 title, Hurley also showed he could be aggressive offensively by averaging 17 points to go with his 8.2 assists per game, easily making him a first-team All-American.
Hurley is one of the best pure point guards in college basketball history, making him the easy choice to top this list.
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Source: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2651701-duke-basketball-ranking-the-best-point-guards-in-blue-devils-history
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