MORGANTOWN — Defense can carry a basketball team a long way.
From Virginia’s impenetrable half-court defense that stifles offensive production, to the high-octane, in-your-face attitude of WVU’s “Press Virginia” schemes, success based on defense can be found in many upper-tier college programs.
Morgantown High head coach Dave Tallman understands the need for a strong foundation on the defensive end of the floor, and he preaches it to his players. As a result, the Mohigans were one of the most-feared defenses in the state of West Virginia last winter, smothering their opponents and slowing even the fastest, highest-scoring teams that arrived to play them.
The foundation of the squad was Cam Selders. As a junior, Selders averaged 15 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while tallying 54 steals and 24 blocks. He imposed his will on opponents, leading his team on both ends of the court.
However, as the Mohigans struggled to score — dropping contests they likely would have won with better shooting — Selders knew he had work to do this offseason if he wanted to bring a state title back to Morgantown.
“I’ve been working on my jumper a lot, and I’m going to keep working on it. I want to become a more consistent shooter,” he said. “I believe with the way that I’m working, my shooting and court vision will be on point my senior year.”
Tallman has been keeping a watchful eye on his star player, and couldn’t be happier with the development he has seen.
“Cam is having a good offseason, both in the weight room and on the AAU circuit,” he said. “This is a very important offseason for both him and the entire team. His shot has gotten much better, and he knows he needs to continue to improve his offensive skill set.”
All eyes are now on Selders at MHS, as the expectations are high for a team that has become a common visitor to the state tournament in Charleston. Selders returns as the squad’s leading scorer and will be expected to fill the leadership role left by graduating seniors.
“Cam will be one of our returning leaders,” Tallman said. “He had a good season last year, but we will be expecting a great senior season from him.”
Add in the college coaches that have started calling to talk about a potential career at the next level, and you can imagine the pressure bearing down.
According to Selders, none of it matters. He’s focused on improving his skill set and leading his team. “I’m trying to be the best leader I can for my team and make them work their hardest. I know if I can push them, it will make them go harder and make the team better overall.”
He knows if he achieves in these aspects, it will drive him closer to the only milestone he’s truly chasing — a state championship.
“The only goal I’m trying to reach is winning that state title,” he said. “Any other individual milestones will come with that. And it’s not just for me; if we’re winning like that, my teammates will get noticed, too.”
According to Selders, he and his teammates are well on their way to that goal. While nothing can be determined until the season kicks off this December, he has been very impressed by how he and his teammates are looking as the offseason carries on.
“We get to push each other in the weight room and on the court every day,” he said. “We are going to work the hardest we can in the weight room and in practice to bring another state championship to Morgantown.”
