Point guard play is critical. Villanova cut down the nets a year ago largely because coach Jay Wright had a pair of point guards in Ryan Arcidiacono and Jalen Brunson.
The list of national champions has featured a high-level point guard for a while now. Duke had Tyus Jones in 2015. UConn had Shabazz Napier in 2014 and Kemba Walker in 2011. In 2013, Peyton Siva led Louisville. And Ty Lawson quarterbacked North Carolina to the crown in 2009.
Just a few days ago, Creighton had the look and feel of a legitimate national title contender with Maurice Watson Jr. pulling the strings on the Bluejays' high-powered offense. Now, after Watson's season-ending knee injury, Creighton's point guard situation is incredibly vulnerable.
It was a difficult call to pick the best point guard situation in America, so here are the five teams that have the most reliable point guards and five squads that are questionable at the position. Keep in mind, we only considered NCAA tournament-caliber teams: