Guards will be plentiful for the Vicksburg boys basketball team.

Size will not.

Coach Dellie C. Robinson said his 2005-06 team will have to use quickness and trapping ability to make up for lack of size inside. The Gators come off a season where they came from the No. 4 seed to win the Division 6-5A title on their home court in February.

Vicksburg won its first round satellite game, beating Hattiesburg, but then lost two straight at the South State Tournament in Biloxi and finished 15-17.

Gone from that team are four starters, including top scorers Edwin Gaskin and Sederick Williams.

Yet one piece that Robinson felt was missing last year will be present this season.

&#8220We didn’t have a true point guard and we couldn’t get into our offense at key spots,” Robinson said. &#8220Sederick wasn’t a true point guard. This year I feel we have three fine point guards.

One of those point guards is New Orleans evacuee Manuel Davis, from St. Bernard Parish. He joins Lester Davenport and Tony Ammons as the new court generals.

&#8220The kid from New Orleans is a pretty decent point guard, we just need to get him cleared to play from the MHSAA,” Robinson said. &#8220Ammons is doing a good job for us and so is Davenport.”

The lone returning starter from last year is senior Brandon Harper, a 6-foot-1 forward.

&#8220Brandon is our only starter back but he was All-County, so that helps. We’ll have him, Dan Hyde and John Qualls, once he gets back from football, inside,” Robinson said.

The wing guard position belongs to Jonathan Phelps, who saw extensive time as a back-up.

&#8220He’s our shooter and he loves to shoot. He’s got a lot of his daddy in him,” Robinson said in reference to Phelps’ father, Michael, who led the Gators to the 1980 State AA title.

Once football ends, Robinson will also get back his son, Delmon, Willis McGowan, Qualls and Dekores Branch.

&#8220We’re a team that has got to run more this year,” Robinson said. &#8220It’s going to be a lot like my Canton teams, which means a lot of fast breaks. We’re going to have to play fast and trap teams with the press because we’re just not very big.”