Brian Hammet is the protagonist and narrator of The Perfect Shot. A 17-year-old high school senior, he has to reassess his values and priorities when his girlfriend, Amanda, and her family are murdered. Brian finds it difficult to focus on school and basketball as he mourns this loss, especially because he doesn’t believe that Amanda’s father, who is standing trial for the murders, is guilty. Brian is the captain of his basketball team, and he is skilled at getting the team to trust each other and play to each other’s strengths. His leadership abilities are also clear when he encourages his teammates to help each other on their history projects. Julius nicknames Brian “Brainman” because of his thoughtful approach to leading the team, and this is a trait that serves Brian well throughout his coming-of-age journey.

Other enduring traits of Brian’s include his sensitivity and compassion. He understands the pain that others are going through, though he begins the novel with a fairly limited perspective. Part of his growth in the novel comes from learning about other people’s experiences and learning about his own privilege as a straight, white young man.