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Tom Campbell Johnson didn't start Purdue's first exhibition game but did the second. Unlike last season, he'll likely be challenged now to keep it. guards," Johnson said. "And going against his energy also helps me develop into a better point guard." Scott's not slow by any means, quite the opposite actually, with his decisiveness and aggressiveness upping his quickness quotient all the more. But he's not faced many guards as quick as Johnson. "It's helped me a lot, because I know when I get to the game, the guard I'm going to be facing isn't going to be as quick as Ronnie," Scott said. "And he's real little and I'm not used to going against little guys, because a lot of the times I'm going to be guarding guys who are bigger guards and not as fast, so it's going to help me guard that kind of guy better." The competition between the two has been closely contested. Though Johnson started nearly every game for Purdue last season with all signs pointing to a very bright future lying ahead, Scott beat him out to start the first exhibition game by winning more in preseason practice. Between Purdue's three-session scrimmage one weekend and its full-gamelike scrimmage the next, Scott's teams were 4-0, Johnson's 0-4. But Coach Matt Painter told Scott even before he started vs. the University of Indianapolis, "Even if you don't start, it doesn't mean you don't deserve to," perhaps laying the groundwork for a move back to the more experienced hand, a move that was made in Purdue's exhibition finale against Wayne State. Johnson will presumably retain that post as the regular season begins, but that won't stop Scott from trying to take it. Either way, both will play starter-type roles, seems like. That competition is something Purdue just didn't have at point guard a year ago and marks a significant portion of Scott's value to the Boilermakers now. The tightly wound guard's fiery demeanor and bottomless reservoir of energy have pushed not only Johnson, but the entire roster, a suggestion Scott draws satisfaction from. "Especially with Ronnie, it gets a little hot, but we handle it well," Scott said. "I feel like they love my tenacity, the way I compete, and they want me to keep doing that every single day. … I'm trying to bring it every day, to prepare myself for practice and to prepare myself for games like that. "I'm going to try to bring all that energy I bring to games and try to bring (everyone else) up with me." Especially Johnson, who might not like it all the time, but says he respects it. "It's going to make me better and it's going to prepare us for next year," Scott said of his fellow point guard, "to have that bond and maybe be one of the best backcourts in the country, I feel like." j GoldanDBlack express • volume 24, express 9 • 34