Preseason Top 10 Shooting Guards

1. Arron Afflalo- UCLA (15.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.8 APG)
Afflalo is college basketball’s best mid-range shooter, and remarkably, he almost never forces up a bad shot or makes a poor decision on the court. One of the smartest players in the Pac-10, who is known to be clutch and wants to take the big shot.

2. Chris Lofton- Tennessee (17.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.9 APG)
Lofton can flat-out stroke the ball. 29 points vs. Florida and 31 @ Kentucky last season shows he won’t shy away from the spotlight. Will be Tennessee’s go-to guy for all the big shots this year.

3. Brandon Heath- San Diego State (18.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.5 APG)
Brandon could very well be a late first round pick in the upcoming draft with a polished year. With Marcus Slaughter’s departure, it will be Heath’s team to lead back to the tournament. Heath scored in double digits in every game last season, including 33 of the team’s 72 points vs. New Mexico.

4. Richard Roby, Colorado (17.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.5 APG)
Roby tested the NBA draft waters but made the right move by returning for his senior season. Roby is already a tough rebounder and will perfect his game at Boulder before NBA scouts drool over his fluid athletic abilities and smooth offensive game. Roby can create shots off the dribble or use his muscle to finish under the basket.

5. Sammy Mejia- DePaul (15.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.5 APG)
Straight out of the Bronx, Mejia has proved from Day 1 he is the centerpiece of a DePaul team on the rise. The expectations this season for the Blue Demons is an NCAA tournament birth, and Mejia is a likely candidate to make the All-Big East team and lead them to the promised land.

6. J.R. Reynolds- Virginia (17.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.1 APG)
Forget about Singletary, J.R. Reynolds may be the best Virginia guard. If the Cavs get any frontcourt production, they might finish in the top 3 in the conference. Reynolds’ sharp shooting ability will give ACC head coaches nightmares all season.

7. Nate Funk- Creighton (17.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.3 APG)
Remember this guy? Funk missed most of last season with an injury, the only reason he is this low on this list. We need to see Funk bounce back strong because an NCAA tournament birth is not out of the question for Creighton. Funk is a prototype of Kyle Korver in their shooting skill.

8. Mario Chalmers-Kansas (11.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 3.8 APG)
Once Bill Self got Chalmers more involved with the offense, the Jayhawks excelled. This speedy guard will do a tremendous job of setting up the right shots for an immensely talented Kansas group.

9. Eric Devendorf- Syracuse (12.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.3 APG)
An All Big-East freshman team member last season, Devendorf is mostly known for his game-winning layup against Georgetown in the BE Tourney. He was huge to McNamara’s success last season after he moved to point guard, proving capable of playing the position.

10. Blake Ahearn, Missouri State (16.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.5 APG)
The J.J. Redick of the MVC for 06-07. Ahearn never misses a free throw (93.6) and has shown some lethal three point range for Missouri State.