Sporting News ranks Jahii Carson as nation’s fourth-best point guard

Arizona State University has itself quite a player in Jahii Carson.

A freshman last season, Carson averaged 18.5 points and 5.1 assists per game on the way to being Co-Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. He helped the Sun Devils to 22 wins and a spot on the NCAA Tournament bubble, and while the team is losing some talent, much is expected of them as long as the 5-foot-10 star is running the offense.

After all, he is one of the best point guards in the country. Sporting News’ Mike DeCourcy ranked the nation’s top-10 floor generals, with the Sun Devil coming in fourth, trailing Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart, Kentucky’s Andrew Harrison and Indiana’s Yogi Ferrell.

Carson is a high-risk/high-reward player, in part because he had to be. In order for ASU to come as close as it did to reaching the NCAAs last season, Carson had to gamble more than some of the other great playmakers. If he can manage his turnover numbers and make a few more 3s and, most important, get to the tournament, his talents could be truly appreciated. It’s hard—no, all but impossible—to make All-American from the NIT.

As DeCourcy notes, Carson’s image would be boosted with a successful season from the team as a whole, though it’s hard (and perhaps unfair) to fault a player for his supporting cast.

At any rate, Carson is no longer ASU’s secret, and it will be up to him to continue to live up to the top billing he is receiving.

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