Disabato: There are reasons Bloom is top team in area

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Donald Moore (3) and his Bloom teammates are the No. 1 team in the SouthtownStar boys basketball rankings. | Allen Cunningham~For Sun-Times Media

Updated: February 6, 2012 8:54AM

Defense wins championships.

It’s a theme that’s been drilled into the heads of athletes — no matter the sport — since their first day of organized competition.

I get it.

Scoring is fun and glorified.

Defense, at least of the above-average variety, takes hard work and, for the most part, goes unnoticed.

Still, the name of the game is scoring more points than your opponent.

Basketball is no different in this regard.

A team can play suffocating defense and hold its opponent to a single two-point basket an entire game. However, if the team doesn’t counter with three points of offense it loses the game.

That’s not to diminish the importance of playing exceptional defense.

From a player’s perspective, it can be exhausting. However, players tend not to mind producing maximum effort on the defensive end as long as the reward is greater flexibility on offense.

It’s a delicate balance, but one Bloom coach Jasper Williams seemingly has mastered this season.

The Blazing Trojans arguably have the most ferocious defense in the Southland. It’s a major reason why they’re regarded among the elite in the state.

One official remarked to me after a recent game that “Bloom plays defense like it has seven players on the floor.”

No doubt about it. The Blazing Trojans are relentless, whether it’s hawking the ball, crashing the boards or fighting through screens.

But it’s also apparent this is a Bloom team that has greater freedom on the offensive end than in recent years. That’s just not my take. Two other coaches acknowledged it to me in conversation.

The Blazing Trojans are launching shots at a quicker pace, whether it’s from beyond the arc or in the post.

“They’re not passing the ball 15 times before taking a shot,” one opposing coach remarked. “They’re shooting the ball much quicker and taking a lot more threes.”

The revised game plan has been a major success. Bloom, fresh off the McDipper 39 championship, is a perfect 13-0.

After earning the No. 3 preseason ranking in this publication, the Blazing Trojans have moved into the top spot.

“The kids get all excited by that stuff,” Williams said of the rankings. “It’s nice and all, but I’m more concerned about us improving every game and getting us playing our best basketball come March.”

Translation: Bloom has bigger fish to fry than the McDipper championship.

It’s a nice resume builder, but the Blazing Trojans consider the honor a stepping stone to conference and, maybe, state supremacy.

It’s no wonder they’re thinking big this season. Bloom has three three-year starters in point guard Donald Moore and forwards L.J. Johnson and Henry Hicks.

Moore earned MVP honors at the McDipper and is a legitimate Player of the Year candidate. Johnson has taken his game to the next level on both ends of the floor. And when opponents have been quick to key on either Moore and Johnson, Hicks has stepped up.

“Those are our are big three,” Williams said. “When you have players with that much experience on the varsity, you trust that they’re going to make the right decisions.”

The first of many obstacles to a Southland Conference title presents itself Friday night in the form of Rich South.

The Stars will be a highly motivated bunch. Bloom handed Rich South a double-digit defeat in the McDipper semifinals, negating the Stars of an opportunity to win the tourney on their own court.

With a 6:30 p.m. tip, Chicago Heights is the place to be on Friday.

That’s good for high school basketball. With the exception of Thornton, no other school boasts as much tradition and history as Bloom.

“It’s an honor to wear this jersey,” Moore said. “There’s a tradition to live up to.”

Bloom is living up to it this season.