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Position Rankings: Who are nation’s 20 best point guards?

IsaiahCanaan

Throughout the month of October, CollegeBasketballTalk will be rolling out our previews for the 2012-2013 season. Check back at 9 a.m. and just after lunch every day, Monday-Friday, for a new preview item.

To browse through the preview posts we’ve already published, click here. To look at the rest of the Top 25, click here. For a schedule of our previews for the month, click here.

This is when it gets fun. Teams aside, who are the best players at each position? Not only is it difficult to confine some of these athletes to just one position, but so much depends on a team’s style, chemistry, and game plan as to where each should be ranked.

Take a look below at NBCSports.com’s Top 20 Point Guards:

The Top 10

1. Isaiah Canaan (Murray State)

Canaan is a Preseason All-American for a reason. Murray State’s fate rests in his hands, especially with supporting cast member Zay Jackson now suspended for the season.

2. Phil Pressey (Missouri)

Pressey leads the Tigers into the SEC after averaging 10.3 points and 6.4 assists per game last season. He is undoubtedly Missouri’s leader offensively and will keep his team toward the top of the conference with Florida and Kentucky.

3. Trey Burke (Michigan)

No one is happier than head coach John Beilein that Burke bypassed the NBA draft and decided to return to Ann Arbor. With the recruiting class the Wolverines are bringing in, Burke could be the point guard on a team that makes a run in March.

4. Lorenzo Brown (NC State)

Brown is coming off of knee surgery, but now plays point guard for a team whose expectations are high after a run to the NCAA tournament last season. He is now a legitimate top-5 PG in the country.

5. Aaron Craft (Ohio State)

Craft is a relentless defender and orchestrator of the Buckeye offense. His 4.6 assists per game last season made that offense go.

6. Kyle Anderson (UCLA)

If we call Anderson a point guard, he is the most unique point guard in the country. He changes the way an offense runs because of his court vision and ability to see over the defense. He’s certainly not the fastest, but his length creates problems.

7. Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State)

He has size for the point guard spot, which makes him dangerous, but he can play either position in the backcourt. Big-time athlete will make a difference in his freshman season at Oklahoma State.

8. Pierre Jackson (Baylor)

The athletic Jackson averaged 13.8 points and 5.9 assists per game last season. Some pieces have left Waco, but a new recruiting class full of weapons comes in.

9. Peyton Siva (Louisville)

If for the majority of the year we see the late-season Siva who led Louisville to the Final Four, things are good. If the mid-season doldrums strike again, the Cardinals could run into some trouble. Siva is the Preseason Big Eat Player of the Year.

10. Matthew Dellavedova (St. Mary’s)

The Aussie doesn’t always get as much recognition as he should because he comes from a smaller conference, but 15.5 points and 6.4 assists per game ain’t too shabby.

The Best of the Rest

11. Mark Lyons (Arizona)

12. Ray McCallum Jr. (Detroit)

13. Tim Frazier (Penn State)

14. Myck Kabongo (Texas)

15. Shabazz Napier (Connecticut)

16. Elijah Johnson (Kansas)

17. Vincent Council (Providence)

18. DJ Cooper (Ohio)

19. Ryan Harrow (Kentucky)

20. Nate Wolters (South Dakota State)

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_