Guard play is a huge part of college basketball, as evidenced by the teams that played in the national championship this past season. Florida had a trio of elite guards, led by 6-foot-2 senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. (18.3 points per game), who went on a historic March run to win the title. Even Houston, the runner-up, had its top three scorers all being perimeter players, led by 6-foot-1 senior guard LJ Cryer (15.7 points per game).
Looking toward the 2025-26 campaign, there are plenty of teams whose backcourts are good enough to go on deep runs next March. The following is a list of the top 10 collective backcourts in college basketball. For players to qualify, they have to be exclusively perimeter-oriented, regardless of where they’re at in a respective lineup.
*Rankings for freshmen are via 247SportsComposite
1. Purdue Boilermakers
Braden Smith, 6-foot-4 senior guard, 15.8 points and 8.7 assists per game; Fletcher Loyer, 6-foot-4 senior guard, 13.8 points per game; C.J. Cox, 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, 6.0 points per game; Gicarri Harris, 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, 3.8 points per game; Omer Mayer, 6-foot-4 freshman guard, 4-star international prospect; Antione West Jr., 6-foot-3 freshman guard, No. 156 overall prospect.
When you have the likely consensus No. 1 player in college basketball next season (Smith), it’s hard not to have the Boilermakers at the top spot. They also bring back Loyer, who flies under the radar next to Smith but is still an all-league caliber player in his own right. Mayer has been a standout international prospect and should be a key part in the rotation, while Harris could be a breakout contributor as a sophomore.
2. Houston Cougars
Emanuel Sharp, 6-foot-3 senior guard, 12.6 points per game; Milos Uzan, 6-foot-4 senior guard, 11.4 points and 4.3 assists per game; Mercy Miller, 6-foot-4 sophomore guard, 2.7 points per game; Kordelius Jefferson, 6-foot-1 sophomore guard, 1.0 points per game; Bryce Jackson, 6-foot-5 freshman guard, No. 220 overall prospect; Kingston Flemings, 6-foot-3 freshman guard, No. 20 overall prospect; Isaiah Harwell, 6-foot-6 freshman guard, No. 16 overall prospect.
Yes, losing 6-foot-1 senior guard and leading scorer LJ Cryer is a big loss for the Cougars. However, the national champion runner-up still brings back two starters in Uzan and Sharp. Jefferson and Miller can grow into key reserves, while both Flemings and Harwell are 5-star newcomers with high potential and likely instant impact contributors to watch.
3. Kentucky Wildcats
Otega Oweh, 6-foot-5 senior guard, 16.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game; Collin Chandler, 6-foot-5 sophomore guard, 2.7 points per game; Jaland Lowe, 6-foot-2 junior guard, 16.8 points and 5.5 assists per game at Pittsburgh; Denzel Aberdeen, 6-foot-5 senior guard, 7.7 points per game at Florida, Kam Williams, 6-foot-8 sophomore guard/wing, 9.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game at Tulane; Jasper Johnson, 6-foot-4 freshman guard, No. 24 overall prospect
Kentucky is one of the few teams that can claim it returns its top player from last season in leading scorer Oweh. He’s paired with a proven high-level ball-handler in Lowe, who’ll have a better supporting cast after having to do a lot at Pittsburgh. Aberdeen was an unsung hero at times off the bench at Florida, while Williams is a quality wing newcomer from Tulane who can shoot the ball. Getting anything from the underclassmen off the bench would be an extra benefit to this cast.
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4. UConn Huskies
Solomon Ball, 6-foot-3 junior guard, 14.4 points per game; Silas Demary Jr., 6-foot-5 junior guard, 13.5 points and 3.1 assists per game at Georgia; Malachi Smith, 6-foot senior guard, 10.4 points and 5.3 assists per game at Dayton; Alec Millender, 6-foot-1 senior guard, 8.2 points and 3.7 assists per game at IU Indy; Jacob Ross, 6-foot-5 freshman wing, No. 199 overall prospect; Braylon Mullins, 6-foot-4 freshman guard, No. 12 overall prospect.
UConn’s sell for its backcourt is a nice combination of proven talent at the top combined with a couple of floor-raising freshmen. Ball and Demary are a quality perimeter duo, while Smith, who logged 77 career starts at Dayton, is one of the best backup options to have. There’s plenty of hype surrounding 5-star Mullins, who could slide into the sharpshooting wing role.
5. Louisville Cardinals
Ryan Conwell, 6-foot-4 senior guard, 16.5 points per game at Xavier; Isaac McKneely, 6-foot-4 senior guard, 14.4 points and 2.9 assists per game at Virginia; Adrian Wooley, 6-foot-5 sophomore guard, 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game at Kennesaw State; Mikel Brown Jr., 6-foot-3 freshman guard, No. 6 overall prospect.
Depth isn’t the selling point for Louisville’s backcourt since there are only four true guards on the roster likely to get minutes. However, the Cardinals have arguably the best transfer guard duo from the portal in Conwell and McKneely, two lead scorers who each shot better than 40 percent from deep at the high-major level. Wooley was the Conference USA Rookie of the Year and a potential gem, while Brown was the star of the U19 Team USA squad this offseason in its gold-medal run. It’s a group with a high floor and a very high ceiling.
6. Alabama Crimson Tide
Aden Holloway, 6-foot-1 junior guard, 11.4 points per game; Labaron Philon, 6-foot-4 sophomore guard, 10.6 points and 3.8 assists per game; Latrell Wrightsell, 6-foot-3 redshirt senior guard, 11.5 points per game (8 games); Houston Mallette, 6-foot-5 senior redshirt guard, 3.2 points per game; Jalil Bethea, 6-foot-5 sophomore guard, 7.1 points per game at Miami; Amari Allen, 6-foot-7 freshman wing, No. 64 overall prospect; Davion Hannah, 6-foot-5 freshman guard, No. 62 overall prospect
One of the most significant NBA Draft decisions this offseason was Philon opting to come back for his sophomore year. He’s set to be one of the top players in the SEC, and Holloway’s return, while overshadowed, is just as important. Alabama also got great news with both Wrightsell and Mallette returning from season-ending injuries last season. If former 5-star prospect Bethea has a big year in a new system, the Tide can claim some of the best depth in the country.
7. Duke Blue Devils
Caleb Foster, 6-foot-5 junior guard, 4.9 points and 1.4 assists per game; Isaiah Evans, 6-foot-6 sophomore guard, 6.8 points per game; Darren Harris, 6-foot-6 sophomore guard, 2.0 points per game; Jack Scott, 6-foot-6 senior guard, 1.7 points per game at Princeton; Cayden Boozer, 6-foot-4 freshman guard, No. 23 overall prospect; Dame Sarr, 6-foot-7 guard/wing, 5-star international prospect.
When it comes to proven production, Duke’s spot on this list can be questionable. But fewer teams have as high a ceiling as them, led by 5-star freshman point guard Cayden Boozer. He’s not as high-profile as his top-prospect brother, 6-foot-9 freshman forward Cameron, but early returns show that the ball-handler can hold his own. There’s also Sarr, one of the top international newcomers in the class and an early projected first-round pick. If former 5-star prospect Evans has a breakout sophomore campaign after showing flashes last season, the Blue Devils will be back as a Final Four threat.
8. Florida Gators
Urban Klavzar, 6-foot-1 sophomore guard, 3.2 points per game; Isaiah Brown, 6-foot-4 sophomore guard, 1.9 points per game; Boogie Fland, 6-foot-2 sophomore guard, 13.5 points and 5.1 assists per game at Arkansas; Xaivian Lee, 6-foot-3 senior guard, 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game at Princeton; AJ Brown, 6-foot-4 redshirt junior guard, 13.2 points per game at Ohio; Alex Kovatchev, 6-foot-5 redshirt sophomore guard, 8.5 points per game (4 games) at Sacramento State; Alex Lloyd, 6-foot-3 guard, No. 41 overall prospect; CJ Ingram, 6-foot-6 wing, No. 19 overall prospect.
There’s going to be some level of drop-off for Florida compared to last season’s backcourt, but coach Todd Golden did as good a job in reloading as possible. Fland, a former 5-star prospect, dealt with health issues and inefficiency as a freshman at Arkansas, but did have 11 games of 15-plus points last season. Lee is one of the best shot-makers coming over from Princeton, while Brown shot 39 percent from three-point range last season at Ohio. Whenever the Gators don’t use their three-big lineup, they’ll have the backcourt to remain potent on offense.
9. Washington Huskies
Zoom Diallo, 6-foot-4 sophomore guard, 11.1 points and 2.7 assists per game; Quimari Peterson, 6-foot-1 senior guard, 19.5 points and 3.7 assists per game at East Tennessee State; Wesley Yates, 6-foot-4 sophomore guard, 14.1 points per game at USC; Desmond Claude, 6-foot-5 senior guard, 15.8 points and 4.2 assists per game at USC; Bryson Tucker, 6-foot-6 wing, 5.4 points per game at Indiana; Courtland Muldrew, 6-foot-3 freshman guard, No. 103 overall prospect; Jasir Rencher, 6-foot-5 freshman wing, No. 90 overall prospect; JJ Mandaquit, 6-foot-1 freshman guard, No. 74 overall prospect.
Washington will be one of the more fascinating backcourts to watch, as the team will essentially carry over USC’s starting perimeter duo of Yates and Claude. Peterson was the SoCon Player of the Year at ETSU and is arguably the best ball-handler of the group, while Diallo is the one returning piece for the Huskies and coming off a strong first year. There’s so much talent that Tucker, a former top-30 prospect coming over from Indiana, flies under the radar. The only question with this group is whether there’s enough shooting.
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Markus Burton, 5-foot-11 junior guard, 21.3 points and 3.0 assists per game; Braeden Shrewsberry, 6-foot-3 junior guard, 14 points per game; Sir Mohammed, 6-foot-6 sophomore guard, 3.1 points per game; Cole Certa, 6-foot-5 sophomore guard, 2.5 points per game; Logan Imes, 6-foot-4 junior guard, 1.9 points per game; Jalen Haralson, 6-foot-7 freshman guard/wing, No. 18 overall prospect.
Burton was fifth nationally in scoring last season and comes back as one of the best overall perimeter players in the country. Shrewsberry is a qualified shooter, while guys such as Mohammed and Certa showed promise as freshmen. The key to the Irish’s ceiling will be Haralson, the program’s highest-ranked commit ever out of high school. If the versatile newcomer can make a big impact, look for Notre Dame to get back to postseason contention.
Some honorable mentions who barely missed out include BYU, Indiana, Saint John’s, SMU, and UCLA.
