Does Defense really win Championships?
The motto for most programs is that Defense wins championships. I even heard Charles Barkley say defense will always travel so he is basically saying it will go with you anywhere.
What side of the fence are you on does Defense win? Does offense win or do you need a combination of both?
Let’s take a look at Kenpom rankings and see what statistics tell us about the debate.
Offensive Adjusted Rankings 11 of the 16 teams still remaining in this year’s men’s tournament rank in the top 20
Defensive Adjusted Rankings 7 of the 16 teams remain in this year’s men’s tournament that rank in the top 20 defensively
Of the teams left Gonzaga and Houston are the only teams ranked in the top 10 in both.
Let’s dive even deeper and look at the last several national champions
Baylor was number 2 in offense and 22 in defense
Virginia was number 2 in offense and 5 in defense
Villanova was number 1 in offense and 12 in defense
North Carolina was number 9 in offense and 11 in defense
Villanova was number 3 in offense and 5 in defense
You can check my facts at kenpom.com, but as you can see nobody was a better defensive team than they were an offensive team.
In last year’s final Gonzaga was the number 1 offense. According to KenPom adjusted defensive ranking last year Gonzaga had a better defense than Baylor.
Am I saying that you can win just with an offense, I don’t believe so I believe you need a balance to win the national championship in college basketball, high school championships, and NBA championships.
Am I saying that you can win just with an offense, I don’t believe so I believe you need a balance to win the national championship in college basketball, high school championships, and NBA championships.
So where are you on the debate does offense win or does defense win?
Some of my favorite sets, actions, and concepts I have shared of late on Social Media
Arizona Misdirection Elevator Backdoor
St. Peter’s Ball Screen - Flare Screen
St. Peter’s Flex Counter 3 vs. Kentucky
If you have a set or action you like throughout the rest of the tournament send me a message and I will break it down.
Marc Hart - System Basketball
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