Matt Wixon

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When Jordan Richardson and Brandon Jefferson set each other up for shots and get each other the ball at just the right time, it's partly from practicing together at Lewisville. But mainly it's from playing together, and against each other, since the second grade.

"We just click when we're out there together on the court," Jefferson said.

As best friends, they like to be teammates more than rivals. So now that they're sophomores at Lewisville, playing together for one of the best teams in the area, it's perfect.

Well, nearly perfect. There is one potential problem:

Both play point guard, and most teams play only one point guard at a time.

Fortunately for the longtime friends, they play for a team that needs a lot of guards. Lewisville often plays two point guards as it tries to run past opponents. Lewisville doesn't have much size, but it excels with full-court pressure defense and by scoring on fast breaks.

And for that, Jefferson and Richardson are a good fit. Both are small – Jefferson is 5-8 and Richardson is 5-10 – but they are big contributors in their first varsity seasons. Jefferson averaged 16.5 points and Richardson 7.5 in the first two district games for Lewisville (15-5, 2-0 in District 6-5A).

"They're playing great," Lewisville coach Henry Thomas said. "They're ahead of their time."

By that, he means they look like experienced players on the court. They also look like friends, which they have been since the days when they were playing football against each other. Each was a running back, showing how similar they really are. They also have the same off-the-court interests – going to the mall, hanging out with girls and battling each other in video games.

G.J. MCCARTHY/DMN

Brandon Jefferson (left) and Jordan Richardson have been teammates and competitors since second grade.

But they are different. Jefferson, the freshman team's point guard last year, has the better 3-point stroke. "He's a smart defender and a good all-around player," Richardson said.

As for Richardson, the junior varsity point guard as a freshman?

He does everything well, Jefferson said.

Together, it seems, they do everything better. And although playing against each other was fun, "J-Rich" and "BJ" prefer shooting toward the same goal.

"I know we have an advantage with us playing together," Richardson said, "because we can sometimes be the best two players on the court."

mwixon@dallasnews.com

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