Working in tandem.(basketball players)

Ranking the top guard combinations by their impact on this season:

1. Matt Carroll, Chris Thomas (Notre Dame). Carroll now is an elite scorer, not just a sharpshooter. Thomas may be the nation's best combined scorer (18.1 ppg) and distributor (8.0 apg).

2. Tom Coverdale, Bracey Wright (Indiana). Coverdale's grit is more important than his stats. Wright is a once-in-a-decade player, even for a program like Indiana.

3. Brandin Knight, Julius Page (Pittsburgh). Knight is a tremendous leader who comes up with big plays. Page leads his team in scoring and takes points away from opponents with his defense.

4. Taliek Brown, Ben Gordon (Connecticut), Gordon is a devastating scorer and has become a star earlier than expected. Brown continues to develop as a playmaker. He'll never be a sharpshooter, but his strength in the lane makes him a handful.

5. Jason Parker, Dante Swanson (Tulsa). Parker is having a breakout season, leading the Hurricane in scoring and assists. Swanson may be the best long-range shooter in Division I, plus he also dishes and rebounds.

6. Travis ...