Wichita State’s biggest offseason experiment? A defensive stopper at point guard
The guy occasionally bringing the ball up at Wichita State men’s basketball summer workouts doesn’t look anything like your typical point guard.
Karon Boyd is built like a defensive end — 6-foot-6 and 223 pounds — and earned Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors last season by doing exactly what most can’t: switch onto quick guards and battle bigs in the paint.
But initiating the offense?
It’s one of the more surprising wrinkles in Paul Mills’ third offseason at Wichita State.
“I’m not telling you he’s going to be a full-time point guard for us,” Mills said. “But his ability to offensive rebound at that spot is different. A lot of teams don’t see point guards rebound offensively, so I think that’s where he adds value.”
A forward playing point? Mills has shown he’s not afraid to ditch tradition in favor of the modern, positionless game, but even by those standards, this experiment stands out.
Boyd started at the Division II level before spending two seasons at East Tennessee State, where he built his reputation as a defensive stopper. Not a floor general.
His assist numbers are modest, to say the least, and his outside shot remains a work in progress. And Mills even admits Boyd still has “a ways to go” when it comes to handling ball pressure and reading defenses.
So why put the ball in the hands of a player known more for containment than creation?
Defense first, everywhere for Shocker basketball
It starts with who Boyd is: a defensive force who thrives in almost any matchup.
“I’ve never been the strongest scorer, so I’ve always tried to be the best defender,” Boyd said. “And I’ve just run with it.”
That mindset has carried him from Division II to the SoCon to now Wichita. He averaged 8.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and nearly a steal and a block last season. But the box score doesn’t capture how much he disrupts.
He can bang with power forwards and slide with twitchy guards, providing the type of versatility that gives Mills the kind of lineup flexibility most coaches dream of.
“He definitely elevates the defense, just him being an anchor,” teammate Mike Gray Jr. said. “He’s always talking, always making sure people are in the right spots. I know he’s talking a lot about defense, but he’s a strong driver and just because he’s a great defender doesn’t mean he can’t excel on the offensive end as well.”
Mills sees Boyd as the next great Shocker defender. The kind of on-ball pest who takes pride in blowing up first options. Physically, though, he reminds Mills of someone entirely different.
“I remember watching Russell Westbrook when I went to OKC (Thunder) practices and his legs were like the size of an oak tree,” Mills said. “When you look at KB, you can see his base and you realize just how physically strong he is. And then the fact that he can move his feet? He’s really good laterally and he has physicality and switchability.”
So what happens when you take all of that and put it at the point of attack?
A disruptor at the point of attack
Mills’ gamble is this: Put Boyd’s disruptive instincts at the top of the key and watch opposing offenses come undone. But that’s only part of the appeal.
Playing Boyd at point could give Wichita State basketball a unique edge on the glass and in mismatches. He’s a relentless offensive rebounder — his 11% rate last season rivaled former Shocker Corey Washington — and Mills imagines a scenario where smaller guards simply can’t keep Boyd off the glass.
“I don’t think it’s too different,” Boyd said of playing more point guard. “It’s more that you’re initiating plays and have to know all of the spots on the court and where everybody has to go. You’re like the director or the quarterback in that situation. So I’ve just been learning how to make the right reads.”
There’s the catch.
Boyd isn’t a natural playmaker. He totaled just 73 assists over two seasons at ETSU, which is less than two per 40 minutes, and made only 21 3s in 61 games. Mills knows the passing and decision-making must improve, especially under pressure.
That’s why the staff views him more of an “initiator” who can be played in spots rather than a true point capable of leading the offense for sustained stretches.
“If you go back and watch our game (against ETSU) here, he’s a capable passer with what he does,” Mills said. “Now handling pressure? That’s a different story. Reads are a different story.”
But if it works, the payoff could be significant: a point-forward who can switch 1 through 4, crash the glass and suffocate opposing guards. That’s a nightmare matchup and a potential calling card for WSU.
“That’s the way it plays out in my mind, at least,” Mills said. “We’ll see if that’s actually the case.”
The mindset of Boyd that makes it work
It’s Boyd’s gritty, unselfish approach that gives this experiment a real chance.
He’s not out to lead the team in scoring. He wants to lead it in stops.
“When you’re playing basketball, you have to have a different mindset, especially on defense because nobody really wants to play defense, it’s always scoring,” Boyd said. “So I take pride in myself and enjoy taking that joy out of them not being able to score.”
That mentality is exactly what Mills hopes will ripple through a roster that features 12 newcomers.
Even though Boyd is likely to spend most of his time at forward — with more natural ball-handlers like Dre Kindell, Mike Gray Jr. and Kenyon Giles at point guard — his ability to moonlight at point could earn him extra minutes and impact games in unexpected ways.
“The key to being a good player is that you can make others around you better,” Mills said. “A rising tide is going to raise all ships, and (Boyd) does that.”
This story was originally published July 30, 2025 at 6:11 AM.