Player rankings: Wall beats out Collins as best point guard

John Wall is the nation's best point guard, in my opinion.

Let the record show that Sherron Collins does not like my opinion.

"It bothers me a little bit," Collins said when I asked about all the attention Wall is getting. "I think I've established myself, and he's coming out of high school with a lot of hype. But I'm the old guy, and I ain't gonna let no young boy get the best of me."

That sounds like a challenge.

Perhaps we can settle it on the first Monday in April.

"It would be a good matchup: Kansas vs. Kentucky," Collins said. "I'd like to play him."

I'd like to see it.

Anyway, here's a list of the nation's top point guards and combo guards:

(Don't forget to read the explanation for these rankings in the blog.)

1. John Wall, Kentucky

Why he's here: I've pretty much tied my reputation as a brilliant evaluator of talent -- yes, it's a reputation I gave myself -- on the Wildcats' star freshman. You know what? I'm OK with it. Lots of fans questioned me for naming Wall the CBSSports.com Preseason National Player of the Year, as did Collins. But I've had several coaches tell me I'll end up looking smart for doing it, and I tend to trust coaches more than fans. And I trust Brett Dawson, too. He's the Kentucky beat writer for the Louisville Courier-Journal. He watched UK scrimmage over the weekend and tweeted the following: "John Wall looks like nothing you've ever seen in blue and white. Ever."

2. Sherron Collins, Kansas

Why he's here: Sorry, Sherron. You're great, and that's why you're this high. It's just that, and I quote, "John Wall looks like nothing you've ever seen in blue and white. Ever."

3. Kalin Lucas, Michigan State

Why here's here: Lucas is the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, co-captain of an MSU team expected to return to the Final Four. He averaged 14.7 points and 4.6 assists last season; he was even better in Big Ten road games, averaging 18.0 points as the Spartans set a school record with an 8-1 league road record.

4. Devan Downey, South Carolina

Why he's here: If you're keeping track, Wall is preventing Collins from being labeled the nation's top point guard, which means he's preventing Downey from being labeled the SEC's top point guard. So he's clearly screwing up things for guys older than him, and the games haven't even started.

5. Scottie Reynolds, Villanova

Why he's here: Reynolds averaged 15.2 points last season while leading the Wildcats to the Final Four and a school-record 30 wins. The presence of Corey Fisher allows him to focus less on distributing and more on what he naturally does well, i.e., score.

6. Greivis Vasquez, Maryland

Why he's here: Vasquez hasn't been at Maryland longer than Gary Williams; it only seems that way. He averaged 17.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists last season. If those numbers stay the same or improve, the senior will take the Terrapins back to the NCAA tournament.

7. Kemba Walker, Connecticut

Why here's here: That the Huskies lost A.J. Price will seem minimal once Walker gets going. He's a 6-foot-1 native of New York who will go from averaging 8.9 points as a freshman to nearly double that as a sophomore.

8. Kenny Boynton, Florida

Why he's here: Boynton will play more shooting guard than point guard, but the loss of Nick Calathes will force him to handle the ball for the Gators. And that's not necessarily a bad thing; Boynton is among the nation's most talented freshmen, a gifted scorer who should post big numbers for Billy Donovan, right from the start.

9. Isaiah Thomas, Washington

Why he's here: Incoming freshman Abdul Gaddy, a true point, will allow Thomas to play off the ball and focus on scoring. He could go from Pac-10 Freshman of the Year to Pac-10 Player of the Year if he improves on averages of 15.5 points and 2.6 assists per game while leading the Huskies to a league title.

10. Talor Battle, Penn State

Why he's here: Battle averaged 16.7 points and 5.0 assists last season to help the Nittany Lions win 27 games. Did you even know Penn State won 27 games?

The next 15

• 11. Jerome Randle (California)	• 16. Deonta Vaughan (Cincinnati)	• 21. Denis Clemente (Kansas State)
• 12. Nic Wise (Arizona)	• 17. Jimmer Fredette (BYU)	• 22. Corey Fisher (Villanova)
• 13. Abdul Gaddy (Washington)	• 18. A.J. Slaughter (Western Kentucky)	• 23. Chris Warren (Ole Miss)
• 14. Shelvin Mack (Butler)	• 19. Jon Scheyer (Duke)	• 24. Demetri McCamey (Illinois)
• 15. Malcolm Delaney (Virginia Tech)	• 20. Charles Jenkins (Hofstra)	• 25. Courtney Fortson (Arkansas)