Bentonville guard has handle on it all

Tyrik Dixon’s job for the Arkansas Wings Elite this summer isn’t well-defined.

The 5-11 guard seems to do a little bit of it all.

“We can ask a lot of things from Tyrik,” Wings Coach Edward Durham said following his team’s 59-29 rout of the Houston Defenders on Wednesday at Arkansas Baptist College. “He’s very savvy. He’s got some swagger with his attitude. He’s the type of kid who refuses to lose.

“There’s still a lot of things he needs to improve on, but all in all, he’s taking steps in the right direction.”

Dixon grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out five assists in the Wings’ opening game of the AAU boys basketball Ninth-Grade Division I National Championship tournament.

“I was just trying to help our post players out,” said Dixon, who will be a sophomore at Bentonville High School this fall. “That’s something we really haven’t been doing very well this season. … I usually don’t get that many rebounds.”

Dixon, who also scored five points, picked up four of his rebounds on the offensive end.

“Tyrik has a laid-back demeanor,” Durham said. “He drifts away sometimes, but you’ve got to expect that from such a young kid. When you hold him accountable, he’s everything you look for in a guard.”

Dixon said he and fellow guard Lawson Korita of Pulaski Academy have developed a bond off the court that has led to better play on the court.

“He’s my best friend,” Dixon said of Korita, who had six points and three offensive rebounds in Wednesday’s game. “We just seem to know where each other is on the floor at all times. We just have a good feel for each other when we’re both in the game.”

The Wings never trailed Wednesday, taking a 17-5 lead after the first quarter. They put away the game by outscoring their opponents 17-6 to start the second half.

All 12 players on the Wings’ roster scored, including a game-high eight points each from 6-6 forward Jason Burks (Lake Hamilton High School) and 6-2 guard Trey Lennox (Hot Springs High School). Mark Thomas, a 6-6 forward from Osceola, grabbed eight rebounds and Payton Willis, a 6-1 guard from Fayetteville, came up with a game-high four steals.

“That’s typical of this group,” Durham said. “They’ve played well together, but we haven’t really had a front-runner as far as scoring in our time together. They all share the ball well, and that’s given us some balance.

“Lawson is the type of kid that, when he’s on, can get us 20 to 25 points a game, but when we’re balanced we’re very hard to beat.”

The Wings complete pool play action today with a 4:05 p.m. game against Sports Academy of South Louisiana. That game will be played at Pleasant Valley Church of Christ.

Bracket play will begin Friday, with the championship game set for Sunday at Philander Smith College.

Today’s games

AT PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE (COURT 1) The Family vs. Arkansas Wildcats, 9 a.m.

(Pool F) Team Texas vs. Atlanta Orangemen, 10:25 a.m. (Pool E) EAYO Lions vs. And 1 Elite, 11:50 a.m. (Pool D) Charleston Playmakers vs. Northern Kentucky Legends, 1:15 p.m. (Pool EE) Team Warriors vs. Alabama Ballers, 2:40 p.m.

(Pool FF) And 1 Elite vs. SBG, 4:05 p.m. (Pool D) YBI Nola vs. EAYO Lions, 5:30 p.m. (Pool D)

AT ARKANSAS BAPTIST COLLEGE (COURT 2) Arkansas Thunder vs. Lafayette Celtics, 9 a.m.

(Pool AA) Houston Defenders Gold vs. Triple Threat, 10:25 a.m. (Pool E) SBG vs. YBI Nola, 11:50 a.m. (Pool D) Arkansas Cavaliers vs. Memphis Bulls, 1:15 p.m. (Pool EE) Win Athletics vs. CCYA Tigers, 2:40 p.m. (Pool DD) Red Storm vs. Team Loaded, 4:05 p.m. (Pool B) NEA Bulldogs vs. Albany City Rocks, 5:30 p.m.

(Pool B)

AT STEPHEN’S COMMUNITY CENTER (COURT 3) Indy EBC-Blue vs. Team Hype, 9 a.m. (Pool AA) Arkansas Hawks Select vs. Southern Ill. Eagles, 10:25 a.m. (Pool BB) Elevation Elite vs. Athletes First, 11:50 a.m.

(Pool A) Arkansas Wildcats vs. The Soldierz, 1:15 p.m.

(Pool F)Arkansas Warriors vs. Judges Court, 2:40 p.m.

(Pool DD) Arkansas Cardinal vs. D-1 Greyhounds, 4:05 p.m. (Pool A)

AT PLEASANT VALLEY CHURCH OF CHRIST (COURT 5) Win Athletics vs. Arkansas Warriors, 9 a.m.

(Pool DD) Arkansas Wings Elite PB vs. Oklahoma Huskies, 10:25 a.m. (Pool CC) New Bern Storm vs. Arkansas Hawks, 11:50 a.m. (Pool CC) Lafayette Celtics vs. Indy EBC-Blue, 1:15 p.m.

(Pool AA) Atlanta Orangemen vs. Houston Defenders Gold, 2:40 p.m. (Pool E) Sports Academy vs. Arkansas Wings Elite, 4:05 p.m. (Pool C) New Bern Storm vs. Arkansas Wings Elite PB, 5:30 p.m. (Pool CC)

AT AGAPE CHURCH (COURT 6) CCYA Tigers vs. Judges Court, 9 a.m. (Pool DD) Mass Premier Courts vs. B&B Rising Stars, 10:25 a.m. (Pool FF) Tifton Eagles vs. Blugolds, 11:50 am. (Pool GG) Team Hype vs. Arkansas Thunder, 1:15 p.m.

(Pool AA) Triple Threat vs. Team Texas, 2:40 p.m. (Pool E) Arkansas Hawks vs. Oklahoma Huskies, 4:05 p.m. (Pool CC) Memphis Tigers vs. Arkansas Wings NWA, 5:30 p.m. (Pool GG)