Top 10 point guards of all time in college basketball ft. Magic Johnson, Stephen Curry and more

The point guard position is perhaps the hardest position to judge based on collegiate performance. However, that does not take away from the best of the best, who can showcase an innate ability to control an offense from an early age. Throughout college basketball history, there have been some incredible players to come in at the point guard position.

Whether it be the likes of Magic Johnson, Stephen Curry, Allen Iverson, or many more, college hoops are littered with prime examples of some of the best point guards of all time. Who among them, however, rank in the top 10? Here's our list of the 10-point guards of all time in college basketball history.

Best point guards of all time in college basketball history

#10 Stephen Curry

Despite going 7th in the eventual NBA Draft, that draft placement had more to do with the time Stephen Curry spent at Davidson instead of his talent or production. During his four-year tenure with the school, he led them to two NCAA tournament appearances and was honored with two SEC Player of the Year honors.

Curry was named second-team as well as first-team All-American and is the most prolific player in Davidson history, setting school records for three-pointers, free throws, 30-point and 40-point games. He also set the NCAA record for three-pointers in a season and averaged over 28 points as a senior.

#9 Gary Payton

Hailing from Oregon State, Gary Payton would develop into one of the best two-way point guards in the NBA. However, the trajectory was readily apparent during his collegiate tenure. A dominant player, who would make it to Sports Illustrated's cover for college basketball's best player, earned a first-team All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year in his senior year.

Payton finished his career as the school record holder in points, field goals, 3-point field goals, assists, and steals. In his final season, he would reach his true apex, averaging over 25 points, 8 assists and 3.4 steals a night.

#8 Allen Iverson

Arguably the greatest little man in NBA history, Allen Iverson took the collegiate scene by storm. As a freshman, he was a second-team All-Big East with averages of over 20 points and 4 assists, while adding 3 steals per contest. As a sophomore, he came back a more efficient version of himself, both as a scorer and playmaker, earning first-team All-American.

Allen Iverson at the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony

Iverson's second season saw him average 25, 4.7 assists, and 3.4 steals while adding a lethal 3-pointer to his arsenal, making him virtually unguardable.

#7 Chris Paul

The "Point God" was well on his way to earning that title ever since his days at Wake Forest. A strong freshman season saw him earn ACC Rookie of the Year honors, leading his team to the Sweet 16. In his second season, Chris Paul earned a first-team All-American honor, with improved numbers across the board, as his team won 27 games over the season.

While being upset in the second round, Paul had already left his mark on college basketball, and that is without accounting for his phenomenal shooting splits: a career 47% 3-point shooter.

#6 Bobby Hurley

While his success didn't translate to the NBA, every Duke point guard hopes to emulate the impact Bobby Hurley had on the game. The all-time Division I leader in assists, his record is the college basketball equivalent of John Stockton's NBA assists record. However, he was just as successful a winner as he was a playmaker.

As a freshman, he played all 38 games, leading the team with 7.6 assists to a national title game. While they lost, Hurley came back stronger the next year, defeating a previously unbeaten UNLV team to make it to the Final Four, and eventually win the national title.

The next season, he would author a repeat as Duke won back-to-back titles, and Hurley won a third-team All-American honor. In his final season, he took on a star role, earning first-team All-American honor, coinciding with a career-high 17 points a game.

#5 Phil Ford

Perhaps the easiest way to describe Phil Ford and his greatness as a collegiate athlete is in his first game ever. A freshman starting in his first-ever match under Dean Smith should have served as notice for the rest of the league.

In his first season, Ford led the North Carolina Tar Heels to an ACC tournament title while averaging 26 points, earning ACC Tournament MVP, the first freshman ever to do so.

Ford would continue that dominance with three straight All-American seasons, winning the Wooden Award for the nation's best player in his final year. He finished with close to 2,300 points and led the team to two trips to the national title finale.

#4 Jason Kidd

Mr. Triple Double before Russell Westbrook took the title from him, Jason Kidd came onto the collegiate scene with an almighty bang. Already hyped up, he led California past back-to-back defending champions Duke, led by the aforementioned Harley with a ridiculous 11-8-14 stat line, alongside 4 steals.

For his freshman season, he averaged 13 points, 7.7 assists, and 3.8 steals, fully utilizing his size, blinding speed, and generational passing ability. He would finish his second year with improvement across the board, earning first-team All-American honors with 16.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 9.1 assists, and 3.1 steals stat line.

#3 Calvin Murphy

While the other positions might be debatable, the top 3 certainly are not. Universally acknowledged as the three greatest, at number 3 comes the greatest little man in collegiate basketball history (sorry Allen Iverson) Calvin Murphy.

At 6-foot-9, Murphy should have limited him at Niagara. But, a second-team All-American as a sophomore and a two-time first-team All-American allowed him to score over 2,500 points, averaging 33 a night. As a sophomore, that mark would jump to 38.2, with a career-high of 68. Moreover, during his time, the league did not have a 3-point line.

His immeasurable impact at the collegiate level led Murphy to become the shortest player to ever be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

#2 Isiah Thomas

Already a legend in the Chicago area, Isiah Thomas went to Indiana under Bob Knight at the behest of his mother. As a freshman, he was good. As a sophomore, he was generational. A mighty jump saw him increase his averages to 16 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.2 steals while shooting a blistering 55.4% from the field.

His piece de resistance came in the national title game against North Carolina, where Indiana fell behind by 8. The team gave the ball to Isiah, who responded with a 23-point, 5 assists, and 4 steal effort to lead the team to a 13-point national title win.

#1 Magic Johnson

The first proper anomaly in basketball, Magic Johnson was one of a kind. A true point guard at 6-foot-9, he was instantly dominant at the collegiate level. The GOAT point guard in the NBA would also leave an indelible mark on the college basketball scene, where his rivalry with Larry Bird paved the way for basketball to become a major sport.

Magic Johnson and his Michigan State team pose with the 1979 NCAA Championship

On the court, however, he was somehow even better. As a freshman, Johnson averaged 17 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists, finishing second-team All-American. His sophomore season, though, is when he etched himself in history.

A consensus first-team All-American, he led Michigan State to the national championship against the aforementioned Larry Bird and Indiana State, averaging 17.1 points, 7. rebounds, and 8.4 assists.

Johnson would fare even better in the final two games, dropping a 29-10-10 triple-double in the Final Four, before capping off with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in the national title game.