Point Guard

Wildcat Karon Butcher, 6-foot-2, senior

vs.

Eagle Shannon Scott, 6-foot-2, senior

Kharon Butcher is more than the on-court director for Wheeler; he’s a key to the explosiveness of the offense. Not only can he drive and create, either finishing himself or dishing the ball, but he also will put up a 3-pointer at any moment. Butcher will provide points, but he’s more of an asset as a distributor and a defender.

When his offense is motion, whether on a fast break or a half-court set, Butcher has a keen sense of where to put the ball. He sometimes sees passing lanes before they open. Butcher and forward Nigel Snipes could connect on a couple of plays above the rim.

When Butcher is on defense, he is constantly in the face of the player he is guarding. He’s big enough to fight through screens and quick enough to stay with smaller point guards. Against long jump shots, his size often forces a change in the trajectory.

Possibly the best point guard in the nation, Ohio State signee Shannon Scott is the ultimate floor general. He runs Coach David Boyd's motion offense with absolute precision. An exceptional ball handler and deft passer, he can single-handedly dribble through full-court presses and has a gift for controlling the game's tempo.

If he wants his Eagles to get out and run, he'll push the ball up the floor with dazzling speed. If he sees his team getting out of sorts, Scott reins in his horses to run a set play. His ability to get into the paint off the dribble and force havoc on defenses is his greatest asset.

On defense, Scott is a ball hawk. His ability to get into the passing lanes or steal the ball off the dribble makes it hard for teams to run a set offense. Scott is an unselfish player who ultimately makes every Eagle on the court player. What more could you want in a point guard?

Shooting Guard

Wildcat Chris Longoria, 6-foot-4, senior

vs.

Eagle Dai-Jon Parker, 6-foot-3, senior

The first trait that grabs you about Chris Longoria is his smooth long-range jumper. Longoria is at home beyond the three-point arc and is not afraid to fire at will. He tends to work near the wings, but no shot is out of his realm.

After you see Longoria shoot, you’ll notice his size. He’s big enough to move inside and fight on the glass. He has more success with rebounds that bounce away from the basket rather than fall right under the rim. That happens because Longoria uses basketball intelligence more than pure athleticism to be in the right place at the right time.

Longoria moves around quite a bit and can do so with the ball. But he’s much more effective coming off a screen to shoot a jumper.

One outstanding guard is a coach's dream; Milton has two. Dai-Jon Parker, bound for Vanderbilt, is a complete basketball player. He is an excellent three-point shooter who also loves to play above the rim.

His scoring can come in bunches: 3-pointers, spot-up jumpers, highlight-reel finishes after breaking down players off the dribble. But Parker's defense makes him special.

His defense will haunt the best guard on the opposing team. Parker just frustrates opposing guards because of his relentless energy. He challenges guards to try to beat him with the dribble and sometimes presses full court.

Parker mixes things up and plays with a passion. He is the team cheerleader and loves showing off for the fans.

Off the Bench

Wildcat Derrick Evans, 5-foot-8, junior

vs.

Eagle Jordan Lloyd, 6-foot-2, senior

Good things do come in small packages, but that’s a secret  Derrick Evans hopes you won't figure out until he has burned you a few times. Evans will quickly relieve either Butler or Longoria at guard. When he’s on the floor, he’s the point guard, pushing Butler to shooting guard when Longoria is out.

Evans has so many qualities important to an athlete, but his speed is the most impressive. His quickness allows him to disrupt dribblers, leading to many steals. He thinks every loose ball is his property, leading to crucial fast-break chances.

Meet Mr. Hustle, Jordan Lloyd. He quietly goes about the business of doing everything right on the basketball court. If the team needs a steal, a rebound or a fade-away 3-pointer, Lloyd always seems to be in the thick of it.

Call it senior leadership, but whether he is throwing the perfect alley-oop to Shaq Johnson or making the bounce pass in traffic to Parker, Lloyd is always making the right play. His stats might not impress a fantasy league player, but his court experience and presence are among the reasons this Milton team is so special. Lloyd is unflappable.