GREAT DEFENDERS DO THE HARD SHIT”
These days, great defensive players are hard to find.
Too often, people call a player a “good defender” because she can do one thing on the defensive end. Maybe she can pressure the ball. Maybe she can rebound. Maybe she can take charges. But great defenders?
Great defenders do EVERYTHING.
They change games. They change the way opponents play. And somehow, they always seem to do the WINNING SHIT.
Why?
Because they are willing to do the HARD SHIT. Here’s another little thing that very few people—including some college coaches—seem to understand: Have you ever noticed that GREAT DEFENDERS tend to have great careers and become part of winning programs at the next level? Everybody recruits offense. Everybody loves the kid who can score 20. But when the lights come on and championships are on the line, somebody has to get stops.
Everyone recruits offense. Defense wins championships.
So today, I want to talk about three of the best defenders in New Jersey. Not three players who can defend. Three players who CHANGE GAMES WITH DEFENSE.
TATUM SHARPE — THE GAME CHANGER
Tatum Sharpe committed to Lafayette University this summer. And make no mistake about it: her ability to defend played a major role in getting her there. Lafayette may have gotten a player they think they understand. I’m not sure they completely understand what they have yet. Because Tatum Sharpe is a game changer.
She is long. Athletic. Physical. And then there is that dangerous competitive nature. Tatum doesn’t just make life miserable for great scorers. She is a master of the little things.
She helps off the ball.
She fights through screens.
She understands positioning.
And she rebounds.
Actually, let me stop there. Tatum Sharpe is the best rebounding guard in the state, and I don’t think it’s really worth a conversation. People forget something:
REBOUNDING IS DEFENSE.
Every possession she ends with a rebound is another possession she takes away from the opponent. Tatum also creates an incredible number of deflections. She can disrupt passing lanes, blow up actions and make teams uncomfortable before they even get into their offense. Put her at the front of a press and she can single-handedly disrupt an entire team’s ability to advance the basketball.
But what makes Tatum different is versatility. She can cool off great scorers. She can guard bigger players. She can defend multiple positions. And she can guard elite offensive players straight up without needing constant help. That ability is going to translate.
Tatum Sharpe is the kind of defender who changes games without needing to score a point. That is what Lafayette is getting.
BROOKE JAENICKE — THE PITBULL
Brooke Jaenicke plays at St. Rose. And honestly? She doesn’t get nearly enough attention around the state. Outside the Shore Conference, I’m not sure people truly appreciate what she brings. But ask the teams that have to play against her. They understand.
Brooke Jaenicke is their worst nightmare.
She is simply one of the best on-ball defenders in New Jersey. In fact, she is one of the best on-ball defenders we have seen in years. We call her a pitbull. Because once Brooke gets attached to you, good luck. Her ability to turn opponents in the backcourt is priceless. She can disrupt an opponent’s transition game before it even starts. She can make teams work just to get the ball across half court. And the funny thing is, I think Brooke’s defensive value is going to shine even brighter at the next level.
Why?
Because when you put a defender like Brooke on the floor with teammates who also get into passing lanes and understand defensive pressure, things can get very uncomfortable for opponents. But that’s not even the whole story.
The last time Brooke Jaenicke missed a box-out was probably when George Washington was President.
She is a master at boxing out.
And she doesn’t care about the size of the opponent.
Brooke refuses to give up rebounds.
She is physical.
She gives up her body.
She takes charges.
She runs down loose balls.
She dives on the floor.
She does the things that don’t show up in the recruiting video. And that’s exactly why coaches love players like Brooke. She is a winner. She is a program kid. She is the player teammates rally around because they know she is going to do the hard things. Then she does a little more. Brooke Jaenicke isn’t just going to be a player at the next level.
She is going to be a problem.
A winning problem.
CALISTA VOWTERAS — DEFENSE WITH PRIDE
Calista Vowteras is the best two-way guard in New Jersey. Some kids play defense. Some kids are really good at it. But what makes Calista different can be summed up in one word:
PRIDE.
I’m not sure I’ve seen a player take more personal responsibility for what happens on the defensive end than Calista has in years.
She understands game planning.
She understands matchups.
She understands the importance of off-ball defense.
And her ability to help and recover is exceptional.
She doesn’t just rebound.
She rebounds in traffic.
She doesn’t just stop fast breaks. She breaks them up. And don’t try to compare everybody else to her in this area. A 2-on-1? A 1-on-2? When Calista is the defender, the possession is never what it appears to be. Because Calista believes she can make the play. And a lot of the time, she does. She is physical. She defends with a presence that you simply cannot teach. And there it is again:
PRIDE.
Watch Calista play defense and you don’t see the antics. You don’t see the showboating. You don’t see the fist pumping or jumping around after every play. You see a professional approach. She gets the job done. Then she gets ready for the next possession.
Efficient. Relentless. Deadly.
That is Calista Vowteras. She is a rock star. And I’m not talking about just being a star. I’m talking about a star among stars. She is the kind of player who makes a program tougher—mentally and physically. And when she gets to the next level, I believe she is going to be a defining player.
DEFENSE IS A SKILL. WINNING IS A MINDSET.
Tatum Sharpe. Brooke Jaenicke. Calista Vowteras. Three different players. Three different styles. But they all have something in common. They understand something that cannot always be taught:
Defense is personal.
It takes pride.
It takes toughness.
It takes discipline.
It takes sacrifice.
And most importantly, it takes a willingness to do the things nobody else wants to do.
The closeout.
The box-out.
The deflection.
The charge.
The loose ball.
The extra rotation.
The possession where you don’t touch the ball once—but you still change the game.
That’s the HARD SHIT.
And when you consistently do the hard shit?
You usually end up doing the WINNING SHIT.
Everybody wants the scorer.
Everybody wants the highlights.
Everybody wants the kid who puts up numbers.
But when you build a championship program, you better have somebody who can get a stop.
Actually, you better have several of them.
Because offense might get you attention.
Defense gets you on the floor.
And eventually?
Defense wins championships.
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