Baylor's JuToreyia Willis takes a shot ahead of teammate Grace Wardeberg during their Times Free Press Best of Preps basketball tournament championship game at Chattanooga State Technical Community College on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn.The Baylor School girls' team enters this year's Best of Preps basketball tournament having won four consecutive championships.
"It's difficult to do that, and each year was a little different," Lady Red Raiders coach John Gibson said. "Basically, you just keep working."
Four years ago they beat Cleveland, and three years ago GPS was the finals opponent. Two years back they took the title over Meigs County, and last season the runner-up was Arts & Sciences.
For the first time since the streak began, though, Baylor will be minus Kaleigh Clemons, the 5-foot-7 point guard who was selected as the girls' most valuable player in each of the four tournaments but is now at Vanderbilt.
"We rarely talk about who's gone, although we love her and want to see her do well," Gibson said of the three-time all-state player who twice was a Miss Basketball winner. "We have to focus on moving forward, so our concentration is elsewhere."
The trademark of Gibson-coached teams is stiff defense, hustle and playing hard, and this season is no different.
"It's not about basketball but rather work and how we carry ourselves," the former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga point guard and assistant coach said. "If we do everything right, we'll find success. The main thing is who we are and how we go about things as people."
Clemons was one of four players who graduated last spring, but Baylor still has hot-shooting Mya Long, a Jim Foster signee at UTC. JuToreyia Willis, a two-guard last season, has moved over to the point along with Cheyenne Lindsey and Grace Wardeberg, each of whom contributed heavily a year ago. Caroline Keller has moved in at the post.
"Right now we're up and down. We have people doing things we haven't asked of them in the past, but I think we're going to be a good basketball team," Gibson said. "We're undersized, but I think we're always undersized. We'll defend and play hard - those are the two most important things - and if we do those things we'll give ourselves the best chance."
It could start with the Best of Preps tournament.
"We love being invited to the tournament. The girls love it. Even in the years we haven't won it we have enjoyed it. It's a big-time atmosphere on a big-time stage," Gibson said.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.