Class AAA Preview: Felton’s new nickname? Defense.

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mission accomplished.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Keyser's Bibs Felton vowed to make her final AAU summer one of defensive improvement.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mission completely accomplished.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Among many a college coach and father Steve Felton inside the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky, one of the most offensive players in the state, who has struggled with her physicality as she is a timid person, according to herself, transformed herself into a college-ready player over the course of ten games in six days.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“She can now guard players 1 through 5,” Steve said on a phone call Sunday afternoon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of course, her work didn't all happen inside one arena. With Keyser's softball season over, her improvements began with hours of workouts and plenty of conditioning drills off the hardwood.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sweat poured down her face.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A ball never left her hand.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>By the way, her nickname came courtesy of sister Hannah and Steve. When Felton was one year old, her sister played with Barbies. Hannah's doll had a sidekick named Bibbles. Hannah took to calling her sister ‘Bibbles'. Steve shortened the name to ‘Bibs' because “it was easier to yell,” he said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Those hours spent toiling in the gym showed on the court in the Bluegrass State.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In game one with her [program_tooltip program_id='766870' first='Tri-State' last='Pride'] team and head coach Ronnie Smith, her play featured a reserved energy. Bothered by the physicality of the top teams, she played timidly in the first two games. But, as the point guard of the team, she couldn't be too passive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As she took on the assignment to guard an opposing team's post players, her length and quickness started to take effect. Her confidence began to rise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The deflected balls started to fly. The turnovers piled up. She started runouts at will. Anything her team needed from her, she gave with great zeal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Her mind became sharper. Her hands became quicker. Her attitude became fiery. Everything clicked on all cylinders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But, the best was yet to come.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As her confidence continued to grow, her defensive assignments grew harder, but Bibs kept rising to meet the occasion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smith wasn't surprised as his group rose in bracket play. “I knew Bibs had a lot to give.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What types of players did Bibs guard?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Division II opponents? Shut down.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Division I opponents? Neutralized.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Point guards? Piece of cake.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shooting guards? Don't worry about it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Small forwards? Covered.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Power forwards? Taken care of.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Centers? Pfft. Easy peasy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Obviously, the physicality of the players in the more talented teams ceased to be a problem. Nice!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“She matched up so well against a 3 or 4,” said Smith. “We were mixing defenses, and she adjusted so well. She played so many different roles, and we could play multiple defenses because she could play multiple roles.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the biggest sign of her improvements, by the time her Pride team reached the final games of the tournament, Bibs never left the court. Her performance had reached a point where Smith couldn't ignore her progress.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“She helped the girls around her settle,” Smith said. “Her rebounding for her to be a guard, she rebounded the ball well. In a tournament featuring a 30-second shot clock, she helped us force teams into one possession, and, because she could play the 1, 2, 3 or 4 spot, she could push the ball up the floor.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fueled by Felton's surge, her Pride team won the NE2K 17U Golden Division National Championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What does this mean for her Keyser group?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Expectations are high, very high.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bibs and Keyser have advanced to the state tournament during her first three years at the school. Last season, their most successful season during her tenure, they lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Greenbrier East, 52-37. In the contest, Felton scored 11 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Will the physicality Bibs experienced inside the Kentucky Exposition Center help her with the Golden Tornado? She sure hopes so.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Entering her senior season, her Keyser group lacks size, but Bibs knows her group can make up for it with effort and heart on the defensive end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“If our communication is there, I think we will be okay. I do think our defense will be what carries us to the state championship. If we don't have our defense, we won't get there.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Is it likely the Golden Tornado won't have its defense?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bibs says she will definitely be disappointed if she doesn't live up to her expectations on the defensive end in her final prep season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Just call her Defense Felton.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Contact Joe Albright at <a href="mailto:josephpalbright3@gmail.com">josephpalbright3@gmail.com</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->