Sports Editor

Big men aren’t everything in basketball.

Sure, if you really want to have a chance you’ve got to have some iota of size on your side too, but sometimes it’s the little guys who can make or break a game.

I’ve always been a fan of a fast paced style of play. It’s fun to watch a team press down the court and take advantage of a fast break. There’s nothing more boring than a team that slows things down on purpose and simply tries to lob the ball into their big man down on the block.

Yeah, if I was a coach and could take advantage of another team in that way I wouldn’t hesitate, who would? Still, it gets a little boring watching big men make a move, get fouled and go to the free throw line.

In the type of ball we have around this area, namely high school and college, it’s easy to see that the successful teams almost always have a talented ball handler somewhere in their lineup. Troy State shows that on both their men’s and women’s teams.

The Trojans have probably one of the best point guard prospects I’ve seen up close and personal in years in Detric Golden, while the Lady Trojans made the find of the century down in Australia when they brought Sharin Milner to Troy.

Both of these talented guards have led their teams in the early going and if you’ve had a chance to watch them work their magic you’d have to agree that it’s been exciting to watch.

Want to know just how much each of these players mean to their clubs? Ask the coaches and watch their eyes light up with praise oozing from their lips.

Golden is without a doubt the top guard in the TAAC and Milner could make the same argument. He is one of the league leaders not only in assists, but scoring and has lead the Trojans to their best-ever start in TAAC play.

Milner ranks nationally in assists and as a freshman has made a huge impact on an injury riddled season for the Lady Trojans. Just think if all those around her had been healthy. Scary to think about both Troy State teams playing for the TAAC championship, but it’s not far off.

You see it on every level though, high school more than college actually. If you don’t have someone to move the ball down the court efficiently then what good are you?

When you don’t have a point guard that can handle pressure and make those key passes that keep defenses honest, then you’d better sit back and get ready for a long night. a full-court press can man-handle a guard with two left feet, or even worse, two left hands.

Give me two good ball handlers and I can produce a team that has a chance. Add a potent post player to the mix to keep the defense off their backs and you can build a championship program.

Tall is good, but sometimes those little guys can make things a lot more interesting.