In seasons past, men’s basketball did not have a clear-cut starting point guard. Sophomore guard Travon Baker changed that this season.

Last season, Baker and then-freshman guard Daveon Balls competed for the starting spot. Baker started 18 games while Balls started 12. There has been no question who the starter is this season as Baker has started in 19 of the Huskies’ 20 games.

“I always say players separate themselves from players; it’s not the coaches,” said coach Mark Montgomery. “All of our players are given equal opportunities, but sometimes when you deliver in the games your teammates get more confidence in you, and you get more confidence in yourself, and then you become the go-to guy or the leader.”

The competition and battle between Baker and Balls pushed Baker as a player in practice.

“It helps a lot because he’s always there,” Baker said. “There’s no room to slip up. You have to constantly keep working hard and getting better, and we push each other to get better every day.”

Where Baker has excelled and left his mark has been on the defensive side of the ball. He leads the Huskies with 29 steals and averages 1.5 steals per game, which is tied for 10th in the MAC.

“He’s very active and disruptive for other teams’ offenses, so that kind of leads to steals and turnovers,” Montgomery said. “Then that gets him out in transition where he’s usually a little bit quicker and faster than the opposing team, but just his instincts and willingness to play defense has helped him become one of the league leaders in steals and forcing turnovers.”

Baker takes pride in his level of play on defense and he looks to set the standard for the rest of his team.

“As a point guard, the defense always starts with us,” Baker said. “I feel like the point guard has to set the tone for the rest of the team, so the more aggressive I am on defense the more aggressive the rest of the team will be.”

Baker’s strong defensive play has helped him on the offensive side of the ball as he looks to get out on the fast break. In conference play, he has been the Huskies’ leading scorer, averaging 11.1 points per game.

“He’s worked on his shooting, catch and shooting, off the dribble, and in some of our wins he’s had some clutch shots and some clutch shooting that probably has helped his confidence,” Montgomery said.

“We’re a better team when he’s in double figures because opposing teams and guards have to guard him now.”

Baker has also shown up as the Huskies’ closer this season, winning two games in the final seconds. Baker recently hit two free throws with 5.2 seconds left to beat Kent State and drilled a 3-pointer to take down Loyola-Chicago.

“You want [the ball] in a player’s hand that can create a shot for himself or get someone else a shot,” Montgomery said. “He can do both, and then sometimes you just have to ride the hot man, and as of last [game] he’s been hot, so we’re definitely going to keep the ball in his hands.”