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Jackson, Teague lead elite 2010 point guard class
Michael DeCourcy
Wednesday, Jul. 8, 2009

AKRON, OHIO ? When young Marquis Teague is playing basketball, he says, "I want to be the quarterback out there." The quarterback is the essential position in all of American sports, the one player even casual fans recognize because he wields the ultimate control over the game he plays.

Point guards have to settle for metaphors and similes. They want to be "like" the quarterback, but their position does not carry the same cache with the sporting public. Even though it should.

You want your team to reach the Final Four or win an NCAA championship? Worry over whether it lands the country's best point guard, not that 6-11 center.

As college coaches continue their odyssey across the U.S. to evaluate prospects in the next few recruiting classes, the players they should pursue most eagerly are the elite point guards, among them: Kyrie Irving, a senior from Elizabeth, N.J.; Brandon Knight, a senior from Ft. Lauderdale; Joe Jackson, a senior from Memphis and Teague, a junior from Indianapolis.

How important are they? Nine of the past 13 NCAA champions were directed by McDonald's All-American point guards, from Mike Bibby with 1997 Arizona to Ty Lawson with 2009 North Carolina.

Six of the past eight Final Four teams had McDonald's All-Americans running the point. Michigan State's Kalin Lucas was one of the two exceptions on that Final Four list, but he was a star recruit who just missed McDonald's honors and became Big Ten player of the year by his sophomore season.

"Being a point guard, one thing you've got to be is the general on the floor," Lucas said Tuesday night after playing with other college counselors at the LeBron James Skills Academy. "You've got to get your guys going, make sure you play hard, because really your teammates feed off of you."

When Lawson attended the old Nike All-American Camp at Indianapolis in July 2005, his matchup with Kansas' Sherron Collins of Chicago captured the attention of nearly everyone in the gym. Each would lead his team to an NCAA title within three years. Derrick Rose was a star attraction on the 2006 July circuit and got Memphis to the national championship game as a freshman.

This is a great time to be point guard hunting. The 2010 class is loaded with exceptional playmakers. Scout.com ranks eight players at that position in its top 30 prospects overall. It's nearly as deep in 2011, with Teague and Florida recruit Austin Rivers among six point guards in Rivals.com's top 20 prospects.

"I've been thinking when I come out and go to college, I just want to come out and lead my team, make sure everything is going right on the floor," Teague said. "I want to win a lot of games, make the Final Four, win a national championship. That's the dream. That's what I want to do."

Teague could be the younger twin of his brother, Jeff, who was drafted out of Wake Forest by the Atlanta Hawks after two college seasons. But Marquis is considered more of a natural point guard, which is why elite programs such as Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville?and, indeed, Wake?targeted him earlier in his career. The process has gone on long enough that he expects to make a commitment this fall, with two full high school seasons still to play.

"I want to go to a school that plays my tempo," Teague said. "I want to stay close to home. And the coaches I have the best relationship with, coaches that are going to motivate me and push me and not just let me slack off and be a prima donna.

"You've got to have some great players around you if you want to play at a high level. College basketball is no joke. You need great players around you."

Jackson, Teague lead elite 2010 point guard class | Sporting News