Sports
Gimme 5: For Evergreen Park Basketball's Boatner, Defense Comes First
Labaren Boatner, who will be a senior next season on the Mustangs' boys basketball team, said he and his teammates are working hard this summer to build chemistry.
It started for Evergreen Park’s Labaren Boatner in the backyard at 7 years old.
Now, he’s entering his senior year as a varsity basketball player for the Evergreen Park Mustangs. The shooting guard and small forward gets it, too–he knows defense wins championships.
“You have to score baskets, get your team involved,” Boatner said. “But defense is the most important thing, so that’s what we need to work on.”
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Boatner is a defensive stopper for the Mustangs, and unlike many basketball players, defense is what he enjoys most about basketball. He hopes to take a leadership role this season. How does he plan on doing that?
“Just by stepping up in close games and making stops,” Boatner said.
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First-year Evergreen Park head coach Patrick Flannigan likes to hear those words, as he hopes to build a defensive identity with his team. , Flannigan said getting stops in the South Suburban Conference is very important because of the talent the conference boasts.
Evergreen Park will have a chance to work on its defense this summer, as the Mustangs are playing in tournaments and already have held a team camp. Boatner said the summer can be a good time to work on the team’s needs.
“We have a lot of flaws that we need to change,” he said. “We have to step it up.”
Boatner said practice will make perfect with the transition to playing for a new head coach. “We just have to get used to (Flannigan),” Boatner said. “We’re going to need a lot of practice to develop team chemistry, and I think we’ll be pretty good.”
