Ranking Duke’s Best Point Guards

This isn’t easy and there’s lots of room for debate.

Duke has a history of great point guards and especially during the Krzyzewski era. We thought it would be fun to take a look at the best of those, what made them great and then rank them.

1. Bobby Hurley - the ultimate point guard in many ways, Hurley was essentially a terrier on the court. He was small, daring and ruthless. No one played with greater passion or heart than Hurley, who led Duke to two national championships, all the while dealing with two demanding personalities in Coach K and Christian Laettner. No one who saw him play will ever forget it. Remarkably, during the Dream Team practice sessions, we learned that Hurley ran faster while dribbling than he did without the ball. Michael Jordan reportedly pointed to him and said now he understood why Duke won back-to-back titles.
2. Tyus Jones - If Hurley is #1, Jones is 1-A. He was nearly clinical in how he ran his team. Hurley gets the edge, but if Jones had also stayed for four years, he might get it. Duke has never had a smarter point guard than Tyus Stones. He was - and remains - one of the smartest point guards in the history of the game. Hopefully he moves into coaching when he retires.
3. Tommy Amaker - Coach K’s first great point guard, Amaker was the perfect compliment to Johnny Dawkins and the class of ‘86. He focused on defense and ran the team which allowed Johnny D to ascend to greatness. Amaker was quiet, but no less great in his role. And when Dawkins & co. graduated in 1986, Amaker stepped up and became the leader in 1987. That team is seen as transitional, but it was hugely important because it showed that Duke wasn’t going anywhere.
4. Chris Duhon - Duhon gets somewhat overlooked because he played with Jason Williams and Shane Battier. Williams was a brilliant talent - no Duke guard has ever been more talented - and Battier’s personality, while measured, was dominant. Yet Duhon emerged as a major force in his own right. Three quick highlights to illustrate the point: 1) his driving layup to beat UNC in Chapel Hill; 2) having the kindness to know that Jason Williams always dreamed of throwing the ball in the air after winning a championship and making sure he got to do it, and 3) his gutty performance in the drive to the 2004 title game, where he played with a protective wrap over injured ribs. No one showed more heart or leadership than he did in that postseason.
5. Jon Scheyer - no one knew in 2010 that Scheyer would become the point guard or that he would play virtually error-free ball when he did. We said Jones was the smartest point guard we’d ever seen and stand by that, but Scheyer was moved to the point in his final season and performed brilliantly. We used to say that you could watch him for long stretches and he never made a mistake, or at least not one that fans could detect (Coach K probably saw quite a few). He is the most unusual point guard on this list in many respects but the guy led his team to a championship win over Butler and that team was impossible to kill. Scheyer helped his team to an amazing, thrilling win. It was a preview of his rising acumen that we see now as a coach.
6. Tre Jones - he was the best defensive point guard Duke has ever had and keep in mind he had to form a different identity from his brother Tyus. In his sophomore year, Jones utterly dominated Syracuse defensively for the first part of that game in a way we’ve never seen a point guard do (sadly he got injured in that game). He’s a fan favorite for how hard he played and how he ran a team with many egos.
7. Quin Snyder followed Tommy Amaker, which was not easy, and he was not a natural point guard. Yet he adapted and led his team to the Sweet Sixteen in 1987 and the Final Four in 1988 and 1989. He was an underrated defender and an excellent leader who of course later got into coaching. He played a huge role in making Duke a Final Four regular.
8. John Harrell - Harrell was a surprise addition, the only cross-town transfer from NCCU in Duke Basketball history. He showed up in time for the brilliant 1978 run and orchestrated his team beautifully. Harrell was unhappy after being supplanted by Bob Bender after an off-season Achilles injury and never really got over it. He died far too young at just 50 in 2008 of an aortal aneurysm, but he did a lot for Duke and deserves to be on this list.

What do you think? Make your own pick!