BASKETBALL

THE DEBATE: Hillsborough County Point Guards

The point guard: The position of responsibility and leadership.  The position which is considered as the coach on the floor or an extension of the coach.  The floor manager, general and guy with the most eyes on him at all times.

This year, Hillsborough County has a few really good guards that are considered to be the cornerstone of their teams.  We listed 8 players below who we think are at the top of the list when it comes down to really good PGs in the area. We could have left off a few and some we don’t feel are point guards.  Marshall Holmes, Just Gray, Keshuan Ingram to name a few players who we don’t classify as true point guards.

Let’s start the debate. By the numbers, of the players we listed, Caelen Watts at Lennard is the top guy.  Does not get a lot of run from the press because of the school he attends, but has led his team to a 16-5 record with 21.9 points per game.  Trenton Robertson, Durant is not far behind.  Dropping nearly 20 points per game. All stats from Maxpreps.com

Points Per Game

PLAYER TEAM TEAM RECORD P.P.G. A.P.G. SHOT %
CJ MCGILL WHARTON 20-3 UA UA UA
CAELEN WATTS LENNARD 16-5 21.9 3.7 0.46
TRENT ROBERTSON DURANT 9-11 19.8 3.1 UA
DEVIN HARRIS JESUIT 22-1 15.3 3.6 0.58
ISIAH THOMAS TAMPA CATHOLIC 17-6 15.2 7.9 0.41
JONATHAN JEAN EAST BAY 17-4 14.7 5.1 0.5
MALIK CHANNER STRAWBERRY CREST 15-7 12.8 5.2 0.42
JOSH HEATH TAMPA PREP 21-1 11.9 6.1 0.55

Assist Per Game

Does your point guard get the ball to his teammates in a position to score?  By the numbers we have, no one does it better than Isiah Thomas at Tampa Catholic.  On a 17-6 Crusader team, Thomas is dropping 7.9 dimes a game.  At the very least he assist in scoring 16 points per game and scores 15 points per game himself.  Tampa Prep’s Josh Heath is #2.  6.1 assist per game with an arsenal of scorers to distribute the ball to.

PLAYER TEAM TEAM RECORD P.P.G. A.P.G. SHOT %
CJ MCGILL WHARTON 20-3 UA UA UA
ISIAH THOMAS TAMPA CATHOLIC 17-6 15.2 7.9 0.41
JOSH HEATH TAMPA PREP 21-1 11.9 6.1 0.55
MALIK CHANNER STRAWBERRY CREST 15-7 12.8 5.2 0.42
JONATHAN JEAN EAST BAY 17-4 14.7 5.1 0.5
CAELEN WATTS LENNARD 16-5 21.9 3.7 0.46
DEVIN HARRIS JESUIT 22-1 15.3 3.6 0.58
TRENT ROBERTSON DURANT 9-11 19.8 3.1 UA

FG %

Player who score a lot, have to do one thing in order to score…shoot the ball.  This could be good or bad. No matter the total, the efficiency is just as important.  The numbers we have tell us that Jesuit 2013 PG, Devin Harris is shooting close to 60% from the field.  He makes more than half his shot attempts, scoring 15.3 PPG on a 1 loss Tiger team.  Josh Heath again comes in at the top at 55% from the field.

PLAYER TEAM TEAM RECORD P.P.G. A.P.G. SHOT %
CJ MCGILL WHARTON 20-3 UA UA UA
TRENT ROBERTSON DURANT 9-11 19.8 3.1 UA
DEVIN HARRIS JESUIT 22-1 15.3 3.6 0.58
JOSH HEATH TAMPA PREP 21-1 11.9 6.1 0.55
JONATHAN JEAN EAST BAY 17-4 14.7 5.1 0.5
CAELEN WATTS LENNARD 16-5 21.9 3.7 0.46
MALIK CHANNER STRAWBERRY CREST 15-7 12.8 5.2 0.42
ISIAH THOMAS TAMPA CATHOLIC 17-6 15.2 7.9 0.41

Who wins?

The stat that mean the most…wins!  A point guard is measured like a quarterback, does he win games?  From the players we have listed, Devin Harris and Josh Heath each have contributed to 21 wins and just 1 loss.  Each player defines the position: controls the flow of the game, manages the team on the floor and puts players in position to score.  Harris scores more with a higher shooting percentage, while Heath has almost twice as many assist.

PLAYER TEAM TEAM RECORD P.P.G. A.P.G. SHOT %
DEVIN HARRIS JESUIT 22-1 15.3 3.6 0.58
JOSH HEATH TAMPA PREP 21-1 11.9 6.1 0.55
CJ MCGILL WHARTON 20-3 UA UA UA
ISIAH THOMAS TAMPA CATHOLIC 17-6 15.2 7.9 0.41
JONATHAN JEAN EAST BAY 17-4 14.7 5.1 0.5
CAELEN WATTS LENNARD 16-5 21.9 3.7 0.46
MALIK CHANNER STRAWBERRY CREST 15-7 12.8 5.2 0.42
TRENT ROBERTSON DURANT 9-11 19.8 3.1 UA

So who is the top PG in Hillsborough County? We will let you pick your guy, but the numbers and the play of the players don’t lie. Some score more than others, some assist more than others, most win games and all understand the game. You call it! Who is the best point guard in Hillsborough County?