Best Defenders from Class of 3A State Tournament

The Class of 3A was home to some of the best hoopers in all of TN. A lot of these talented players were featured at the TSSAA State Tournaments. Here are five players in the 3A class at the state tourney who stood out for their defensive abilities.    [player_tooltip player_id='636395' first='Aaliyah' last='Story'] had one of the best defensive games of the entire state tournament.   In round one against Dyersburg High School, Story was defending the rim at an ultra-high level. She recorded one steal and also had a game-high four blocks.   The University of Chattanooga commit standing at 6'3", experience shined through while on the floor in Murfreesboro. She moves well on defense and is also very under control. These skill sets help Story navigate pick and rolls better than most people her height. Story's strength in blocking and contesting shots comes mostly from her being able to time attempts and her above-average movement at her size.     Halle Bailey, out of Alcoa High School, had one of the highest steal totals in a singular game from the whole state tournament.   The junior in the first round against Tullahoma High School had a game-high eight steals. She has elite lateral movement. That, combined with her high-level hand-eye coordination, results in her being a constant steal threat.   Bailey, in the second round of the state tournament, also added one more steal in her final high school game for Alcoa.     [player_tooltip player_id='821821' first='Karmine' last='Carmichael'] is definitely a player that people should keep their radar on. She had an impressive junior season, and her play was ultra-impressive at the state tournament.   Carmichael had a combined 11 blocks and steals in Murfreesboro. She was a big perimeter threat in her team's first-round game against Liberty Creek. In the contest, she logged a game-high six steals. And in the second round game against White County, she was more of an interior defending threat. In that contest, she ended up logging a game-high three blocks.   Carmichael, although listed as a center, can play multiple positions on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Her Swiss Army Knife playstyle goes heavily into her being one of the better defenders in the class of 2027.      Senior for Tullahoma, [player_tooltip player_id='1122399' first='McLayne' last='Bobo'], although just playing one game at the state tournament, had a strong defensive showing.   The MTSU commit got in some early experience, playing on the Lady Blue Raiders' home court. She gave a glimpse of what may be to come next season, with the senior logging a team-high 16 points and a team-high four steals.   Bobo is an aggro player who finds a way to fight through screens and is persistent in creating defensive pressure while guarding on the perimeter. Her attention to detail on defense, combined with the following play, leads her to have games like the following in the state's first round, where she can generate a plethora of steals.     On Dyersburg's run to a state final, senior [player_tooltip player_id='593347' first='Chelby' last='Jordan'] was, maybe, the best point guard defender in the 3A state tournament.   Jordan was constantly creating turnovers. In three games, she generated a total of 15 steals. Her best defensive game of the three was in the state final against White County, where she had eight steals.   Jordan's main skill as a player that helps her be an elite steal threat is her IQ. Jordan can predict the next move of developing plays well, leading to her getting a good jump on passing lanes and then getting steals.

The Class of 3A was home to some of the best hoopers in all of TN. A lot of these talented players were featured at the TSSAA State Tournaments. Here are five players in the 3A class at the state tourney who stood out for their defensive abilities.