Jay Williams Analyzes the NCAA's 10 Best Ankle Breakers

Sure, quality guards can see the court, make the right reads and passes—but can they break ankles? Ankle breakers with a killer crossover do more than manage the offense. They get the crowd hype and throw daggers into the opposition. And in the college game, they're as valuable as any player on the court.

ESPN analyst Jay Williams knows something about quality guard play. In three years at Duke, Williams led the Blue Devils to a national title in 2001 and won the Naismith Award as a junior in 2002. According to Williams, an ankle breaker is someone who "gives me a highlight. They need to make me jump out of my seat and scream, ‘Oh my God did he just do that?!' Challenge me to explain to the world how you do what you do.”

With March Madness now in full swing with major conference tournaments beginning today on ESPN and Selection Sunday less than a week away, we talked to Williams about college basketball’s most aggressive and dangerous one-on-one scorers. Complex is kicking in the door on March Madness as Jay Williams Analyzes the NCAA’s 10 Best Ankle Breakers.

As told to Sean Evans (@seanseaevans)

Reminds me of: "A younger and more explosive Kevin Ollie. Jordan's a better shooter but their games are very similar."

"He's not as quick as the other guys on this list but he has that old man game. You ever go to the gym and see that 45-year-old guy who makes it work out there by catching guys leaning and off balance? Don't underestimate that guy. Jordan Taylor's got that old man game in a young man's body. He has such a high basketball IQ, so cerebral. Like a poor man's John Stockton, he never makes a bad decision and makes the game easier on his teammates."

Reminds me of: "Rajon Rondo in his ability to set teammates up."

"I wouldn't want to be a defender trying to cover him in the open court. His ability to change angles in a sharp second is what makes him a special basketball player. When he comes at you, and your trailing backwards, he'll cross to the left, hit you with a spin move and finish at the rim with his right hand. He wants the big shot in big games and you need that mindset when you're a one-on-one scorer."

Reminds me of: "He has a Tracy McGrady style of game with stuff off the dribble and his jump shot. Lamb's not as athletic as T-Mac but their games are very similar."

"Jeremy Lamb is a silent assassin. He doesn't say much but he can kill you. He has that kind of a wingspan that, with his arms relaxed, he drags his knuckles on the floor when he walks. When he crosses with the ball he can pull you from side to side, catch you off balance and explode to the hoop. He's so dangerous because of his wingspan and ability to be shifty. I think he needs to become more assertive though. He's such a gifted player but when you talk to scouts, people wonder if he demands the basketball enough. Does he have that killer instinct you need when you're a scorer? Will he get drafted because of his potential but get lost in the shuffle by not demanding the ball and dominating?"

Reminds me of: "Muggsy Bogues—a very explosive little guard who loves to attack the rim."

"He's got an Earl Boykins bounce to his game. At 5-foot-10 and with a 40-inch vertical, little man drives and everyone expects him to kick it out or throw up a lob shot, and instead he goes over you! He's got that boing in his step, an athletic explosiveness you don't find often. His blinding quickness freezes you and in a second he's either by you, through you or over the top of you."

Reminds me of: "Terrell Brandon. He's only 6-foot-1 but still has an explosive ability to score.

"He's like a little Allen Iverson because he has to do everything. Utilizes his broad shoulders better than anyone. At 205 lbs, even if he doesn't beat you with his feet, his broad shoulders and upper body strength take him to the rim. He'll cut you off with his back and gain enough separation to score."

Reminds me of: "Mike Conley. I love lefty guards who have the ball on a string and can score."

"I love his game, he's a fierce competitor. To describe DJO I'll use a word that Jay Bilas uses all the time—swag. There are certain guys you know are going to bring something nasty to the table when they step on the court and he's one of those guys. He's a lefty and that can throw a lot of defenders off. He has a really good shot but it's the quickness in his game that makes him dangerous. If he catches you off balance he can fly to the rim. Marquette needs him to score and he does."

Reminds me of: "He's very similar to his former teammate Kemba Walker but lacks that dagger of a jump shot."

"He's a spoken warrior, coming into his own as a leader. He was such a pivotal part of the team last year and his ability to make big time shots is what makes him special. People say that 30-foot game winning shot against Villanova would have been a bad decision if he missed it. Well guess what—he didn't miss it! He has that assured nature that scorers need. If he's going to make it on the next level, he's just got to continue to grow as a leader."

Reminds me of: "He has Jason Terry-like qualities."

"Missouri's clutch from deep. Marcus Denmon wants to be the go-to-guy—he has a killer instinct. He sparked that comeback in Missouri's win over Kansas by blowing by his defender and finishing at the bucket while being fouled hard by Thomas Robinson. In that game, there were some questionable calls against Missouri and some guys can't play through that adversity. When he sees red, he'll give his all to beat you."

Reminds me of: "OJ Mayo with Jamal Crawford—blazing first step with a very herky jerky offensive style."

"Austin Rivers is in the top five hardest guys to guard in college basketball. He has that herky-jerky dribbling game and the most explosive first step in college basketball. If you're caught off guard, he'll blow by you. He reminds me of Jamal Crawford, the way he dances with the basketball. People debate is he a one-guard? A two? He's not any of those—he's a basketball player. The confidence that he showed hitting that shot against UNC shows you that he is in the mindset to dominate. He will and he should be a top NBA pick. "

Reminds me of: "He reminds me of myself."

"The thing I like about Tu is he has the smoothest jump shot. He might be the most difficult guy to guard in college basketball because he can beat you with his lateral quickness and beat you with the shot. As a defender, when you know a guy can beat you with his feet and his shot, that's intimidating. He's just exciting to watch."