Elite point guard play has come at a premium thus far in the NCAA Tournament. Purdue’s lack of a true point guard left the door open for an epic Arkansas Little Rock comeback. The Trojans stormed back and erased a 13-point deficit in the final 3:33, eventually slaying the towering Boilermakers in overtime. The Cal Golden Bears also sorely missed a steady hand at the point. Cal’s starting point guard, Tyrone Wallace, broke his hand in practice and Hawaii took advantage, upsetting Cuonzo Martin’s fourth-seeded squad.
As we enter the second-round, we examine the six best floor generals remaining in the field.
Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
Ulis wasn’t himself against Stony Brook, but the Wildcats didn’t really need him. Kentucky cruised to a 28-point first-round victory despite Ulis’ off-game. John Calipari, however, will need his lightning quick point guard to up his game in the Round of 32. Despite playing at breakneck speed, Ulis has the fifth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the nation while averaging 17 points and seven assists per game. The stat for Ulis to keep an eye on moving forward is his three point shooting; Ulis shot just 10-for-43 (23.2%) during Kentucky’s eight losses this season.
Yogi Ferrell, Indiana
Yogi Ferrell led the Hoosiers to the Big Ten regular season title, Indiana’s second with Ferrell starting at point guard. After an early exit in the Big Ten tournament, Indiana was on upset alert against Chattanooga. Ferrell and the Hoosiers responded in a big way for head coach Tom Crean.
Ferrell finished with 20 points and 10 assists as the Hoosiers rolled to a 25-point blowout win. Ferrell’s head-to-head showdown with Kentucky’s Tyler Ulis in the second-round will be one of the best match-ups of the entire tournament. The last time these rivals met was in 2012, when the Wildcats defeated the Hoosiers in the Sweet 16. UK went on to win the title that year.
Angel Rodriguez, Miami (FL)
Jim Larranaga’s floor general makes it all go for the Hurricanes. When Rodriguez scores 18 points or more, Miami is undefeated. His 24-point performance against Buffalo in the first-round showcased the point guard’s improved range. Rodriguez killed two separate Bulls’ rallies with three-point daggers. He’s also a weapon in close games, shooting just a hair shy of 80 percent from the charity stripe. He shot 9-for-11 from the line against Buffalo, helping Miami hold on for a seven-point first-round victory.
Fred VanVleet, Wichita State
Here’s a fun stat entering Wichita State’s match-up with Miami (FL) on Saturday: The Shockers’ veteran point guard has more NCAA tournament wins (nine) than the Miami Hurricanes have in their program’s history (seven). VanVleet has so much experience that he actually eclipsed 100 wins during his career. But VanVleet is more than a graybeard; he’s a crack three-point shooter (39.3%) as well. In addition to his shooting prowess, the Wichita State offense is so efficient with FVV in the lineup, particularly when it comes to turnovers. Wichita State has an absurd plus-5.8 turnover margin and they simply refuse to beat themselves.
Josh Hagins, Arkansas Little Rock
The hero of the Little Rock comeback finished with 31 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals against Purdue. Not only does the mid-major superstar run the show for UALR, but the six-foot-one guard can also create his own shot off the dribble. Hagins didn’t turn the ball over once against the Boilermakers, which isn’t surprising from a player who entered the NCAA Tournament with a top-40 assist-to-turnover ratio (plus-2.78). If Hagins continues to play at a high level, the Trojans may keep dancing, all the way to the second weekend.
Kris Dunn, Providence
Dunn is an athletic marvel at 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan. The junior guard struggled with foul trouble against USC, something he’ll need to avoid if he hopes to orchestrate a second-round upset of North Carolina.
Despite being saddled with four fouls for the final 7:03 of the game against USC, Dunn helped lead the Friars to a dramatic one-point victory. The two-time Big East Player of the Year is nearly unstoppable in transition and will place a ton of pressure on the Tar Heels’ backcourt. Dunn averages 2.5 steals per game and could make life miserable for UNC’s Marcus Paige.
