PGH IL Top 250 Expo: Don’s Top Defenders

<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I really enjoyed the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 event in Aurora, Illinois. The talent in the building was amazing. I was thrilled to see the girls competing and playing hard. One thing I always watch for is who will play defense at showcases. So many players think of the event as a forum to showcase their offensive skills. So, my first article is to recognize girls who I saw playing hard on defense. That is what catches my eye at individual events. Who wants to take on the challenge of shutting someone down and not just trying to outscore them. Most of the girls that caught my eye were the classic quick guards and long perimeter players that can really pressure the ball. Here is my list of kids that brought the effort on defense. </span> <ul> <li><strong>Chanice Willis </strong>is a 5’7 2020 guard from Champaign Central. Chanice is the best on ball defender I saw. She was guarding full court every chance she got. Chanice is strong and athletic so is the perfect body type to guard multiple positions. She got numerous steals and deflections while I was watching.</li> <li><strong>Cencere McDaniel </strong>is a 5’7 2022 guard from Marist. Cencere is a very athletic ball hawk on defense. She did a good job on the ball being active with her hands. Cencere is always in help side defense using her quickness to hedge on penetration. Being a niece of Dwayne Wade and attending his camps I am guessing she picked up a few things.</li> <li><strong>Kyleigh Block </strong>is a 5'6 2021 guard from Villa Grove. Kyleigh was very impressive in the game I saw her play. She was tough on defense all game long. Initially she was doing a good job of forcing the opposing guards into turnovers. As the game went on she helped out guarding some players on the other team that were scoring a good pace. Even though she is small she was willing to take on whoever she needed to on the other team. Kyleigh is another tough nosed guard that college coaches should be watching.</li> <li><strong>Mallory Ramage </strong>is a 5’10 2022 guard from Matoon. Mallory is very long and uses that well on the defensive end. She isn’t always the quickest player on the floor but she compensates well for that by her positioning. Once her player picks up her dribble Mallory uses her long arms to cause trouble. Most girls have a hard time getting off a good pass once Mallory is up on them.</li> <li><strong>Megan Murray </strong>Is a 5’6 2020 guard from Elk Grove. Megan really impressed me when I watched her. In a game she played with 3 highly ranked players she stood out. She was tough on the point guards most of the game. When it was best for the team, she took on the task of guarding 6’4 2023 standout Jordan Wood. Megan bodied her up and didn’t back down. That’s the kind of player every college coach is looking for.</li> <li><strong>Brooklyn Larson </strong>is a 5'10 2021 guard from Rock Island. Brooklyn is another long armed guard that just wreaks havoc on the opposing players. She is very quick and can anticipate where a pass is going to get tips and steals. Brooklyn is really tough on double teams in a trapping situation because of her height and length. She really excels in an open court type of game getting the defense turned into offense in an instant.</li> <li><strong>Kenzie Hare </strong>is a 5'9 2022 guard from Bartlett. Kenzie is a long guard and uses that to her advantage on defense. She gets tips and steals by being active with her arms in pressuring the ball. Kenzie is very athletic and has good lateral movement so she is hard to beat off the dribble. She did a good job all day of making life difficult for the opposing point guards.</li> <li><strong>Erin Houpt </strong>is a 5’6 2021 guard from Danville. Erin is a highly ranked guard in the 2021 rankings that excels in many aspects of the game. This is why her defense caught my eye. Erin doesn’t just play one end of the floor. She competes and plays smart defense. She doesn’t get beat off the dribble and was in help side defense all day. Erin plays physical for someone her size and is not afraid to mix it up. She is just the kind of tough player college coaches love.</li> <li><strong>Amelia Bell </strong>is a 6’1 2021 post from O’Fallon. Amelia is long and moves well for her size. She did an excellent job of being physical in post defense. What set her apart is her ability to be agile enough to stick close to guards on pick and roll switches. Numerous times she was forced to take the guard and was able to keep close enough to them and use her length to stop them from getting off a good shot.</li> </ul> Defense wins championships. I look forward to watching these girls fight for those championships this year. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;