Defense first, then offense for the Baylor Red Raiders
There’s no doubt that Baylor scores the basketball well. The Red Raiders move the basketball exceptionally well and has a point guard that controls the tempo of the game. All of those things just mentioned are obvious, but Baylor (22-5)…
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Continue ReadingThere’s no doubt that Baylor scores the basketball well. The Red Raiders move the basketball exceptionally well and has a point guard that controls the tempo of the game.
All of those things just mentioned are obvious, but Baylor (22-5) is just as effective on the defensive end. The Red Raiders are a disciplined basketball team. Everyone communicates with one another on the court and because of that, everyone is in their right spot on the defensive end.
In Baylor’s quarterfinals matchup against Christian Brothers last Saturday, freshman point guard Chandler Jackson scored four straight points by driving to the basket. At 6-foot-3, Jackson is a tough task to handle, and his upper body strength makes him even harder to guard, especially if Jackson’s defender isn’t quite the same size as he is.
After Jackson’s first four points of the game, senior point guard Beyuan Hendricks face guarded Jackson, and the Red Raiders went from playing man-to-man defense to zone, which took away Jackson’s sweet spots. Baylor knew it wouldn’t be able to stop Jackson from scoring, but forcing him to take some uncomfortable shots played in the Red Raiders’ favor.
After the first quarter, Jackson started to force a lot of his shots, and his teammates were nowhere to be found offensively. Baylor was able to get the deflections, stops, and key steals it needed for the remainder of the game, resulting in the 65-51 victory.
“All of those things are character things,” Red Raiders head coach Mark Price said after the win. “We got good skill, but good talent without good character doesn’t do things like move the ball and be committed to being in the right place on defense all the time. We got great kids on our team, and they’re talented basketball players.”
Because of Baylor’s defensive efforts, Jackson was the only player for Christian Brothers to score in double figures. He finished with 21 points, but most of those points came between long scoring droughts. The Red Raiders connected on eight 3s in the win and made some of those shots from deep in transition after forcing turnovers.
Senior shooting guard Blake Pruitt is on board with anyone who thinks Baylor has a potent offense, but he thinks the team’s defense is overlooked, despite the success it had against the Purple Wave.
“I think we’re looked at as pretty much an offensive-based team, but I think we’re underrated on our defensive efficiency,” said Pruitt, who scored 11 points off the bench against Christian Brothers. “We’re just disciplined. Everyone is in their right spot, whether we go zone or man.
“And we play defense as a team, instead of individuals trying to get steals. We have really done a good job so far of just playing good team defense.”
The Red Raiders are in the final four of the Division II-AA Boys State Tournament and will play Brentwood Academy in the semifinals round Thursday inside Lipscomb University-Allen Arena. The winner will play in the championship game on Saturday against the winner of Briarcrest and Ensworth.