All of us sports fans have heard it said that “Defense Wins Championships”. Though that axiom has a lot of legitimacy, it is hard to say whether it is 100% true. Lots of things go into winning a championship. However, I must say that this year, it seemed that I noticed more winning coaches praising their team’s defensive efforts as the main reason for their success. This has gotten me to thinking about my team and whether or not we should emphasize defense even more next year. It probably can’t hurt. Regardless, here are some of the examples that I am talking about when it comes to defense helping a team win a basketball championship.
Rob Edmisson, coach of the NAIA championship Oklahoma City University women’s team, said “We defended so well, especially on their All-American (Lavanda Ross). We held her (Ross) to very few looks and really made it tough for her to be effective. Defense wins championships, we say that all the time and it proved itself tonight.”
Rick Pitino may not have won a championship, but he did lead his unsung Louisville Cardinals to the NCAA’s Final Four before bowing out to the eventual champions. His team made a tourney run with, arguably, the best defense in the nation.
Kentucky’s John Calipari obviously had the most talented team all year. They were balanced on offense, exciting in transition and have futures at the next level. However, in the biggest game on the biggest stage, they brought a suffocating defense. “They won it on defense,’‘ said Calipari. “Unbelievable defense to get that 18-point lead in the first half.”