The Importance of Defense in Winning Championships

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>USE CODE "tinnon30" FOR 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defense wins championships. A lot of coaches hang their hat on that motto. We all know there are two sides to every coin. However, if you have a stiffling defense, it can help propel you, especially in terms of going deep in tournament play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When I think about defense, I think about impactful players who can neutralize the opposition. It's a learned behavior to want to be the best on both sides of the ball. It's a pride thing. It's a show me what you are about thing. The girls who really excel at this go out with a chip on their shoulder, with something to prove, per se. As much as we say we want to be a great defensive team, kids have to buy it to accomplish such a feat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Being a legit defensive juggernaut, it takes relentless will. It's a mindset where you've got to stop the best to be the best. You want the smoke. You want to be the villain, per se. According to MaxPreps, here is a list of girls who finished in the top 5 in steals last season in our state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='932837' first='Edniya' last='White'] (University-Memphis)- 7.6</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='907626' first='Jayden' last='Kitts'] (Campbell Co.)- 6.0</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='899852' first='Ke'Miyah' last='Buggs'] (Fayette Ware)-&nbsp; 5.7</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='899915' first='Kiya' last='Mell'] (Middle College-Memphis)- 5.6</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='821873' first='Kinsley' last='Owen'] (Silverdale Academy)- 5.4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another component of being a solid defensive player is being a monster in the paint. Think of someone who can change the course of a game with their presence alone. Someone who brings the physicality, someone teams have to gameplan for, someone who can shut down an area by sending shots away, those types of people also can change the course of a game. If your squad has a big man who can anchor the middle like that, think of all the advantages you can create. We have that here in the state as well. Also, according to MaxPreps, here are some young ladies from last year who finished in the top 5 in block shots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='636395' first='Aaliyah' last='Story'] (David Crockett)- 3.6</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1133788' first='Joie' last='Shipley'] (West Greene)- 3.4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='636393' first='Ava' last='Jones'] (White Co.)- 2.8</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1234164' first='Neela' last='Alexander'] (Siegel)- 2.7</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Janella Tabor- (Tri-Cities Christian)- 2.6</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now granted, not all teams across the state report their stats to MaxPreps, so please give me a little leeway on the point I am trying to make. What I am saying is this: if you have girls who buy into competing on the defensive end, your squad could set itself up for going deep into state contention. It takes will, sacrifice, buy-in, energy, and effort to do so. We have kids who compete for teams within these borders. I know I didn't name everyone, but please understand defense isn't necessarily easy. You have to have the right frame of mind to go out and compartmentalize your energy during that possession. So many times, we tend to only highlight those who do well on the offensive end. It's time we take pride and give flowers to those who step up on the defensive end as well. Prospect, go out and be a solid two-way player. Compete. Be that kid who has so many intangibles that it's hard to take you off the floor. Take pride in the defensive end, because that will travel with you no matter what gym you are in. O maybe the show, but the D is the key.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->