Defensive Standouts: Interior Defenders
After looking back at some of the toughest perimeter defenders I’ve seen, today, I want to look at some of the toughest interior defenders to close out the year. There are four names that I want to highlight for their…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAfter looking back at some of the toughest perimeter defenders I’ve seen, today, I want to look at some of the toughest interior defenders to close out the year. There are four names that I want to highlight for their performances. These players each bring different qualities that I enjoyed seeing displayed on the floor. The names on this list are in no particular order.
Reenie Ganzer-5’10 F-’23-Pius XI: The game I saw Ganzer play against Waunakee was incredible. When Ganzer was forced into a larger role due to foul trouble that Pius had, Ganzer thrived. Defensively Ganzer had to defend girls who were close to half a foot taller than her. Even with that size difference, the junior dominated the paint on both ends of the floor. I was incredibly impressed with how Ganzer forced opposing forwards into mistakes without fouling. The Lady Popes’ play was a big reason why her team took the lead in the most precarious portion of the game. I’ll be curious to see what Ganzer can do next season when asked to do more.
Paige Lambe Paige Lambe 6'2" | PF Verona | 2023 State WI -6’2 F/C-’23-Verona: The simple fact is when Verona plays a 2-3 zone, the presence of Lambe eliminates paint points for opposing teams. I’ve seen her play two games, against Appleton East and Middleton. In the game against Division 1 No. 1 Appleton East, the Wildcats lost due to the Patriots making 14 3-pointers against the Wildcats zone. That can happen against talented teams, and it’s not the worst thing in the world. I thought the Wildcats showed themselves they could still compete with the best teams in the state. In the Middleton game, the opposite happened. The Cardinals didn’t make their 3-pointers and got blown out of the water. The ability to deter taking shots in the paint is a weapon that teams can’t understand until they see it in the game.
Amaya Jones-6’1-F-’24-Neenah: If Jones stays out of foul trouble, her physicality can genuinely intimidate players. I saw her play against Arrowhead, parents complained that she was out of control, and I couldn’t disagree more. Jones plays with a lot of aggression, but that doesn’t mean Jones is out of control. I thought the sophomore tried to set the tone against a Division 1 forward, and when Jones was on the floor, I think she did that. The Rocket doesn’t do a lot offensively. Jones’ duties are to control the paint area. I see Jones as a player that has accepted her role and plays with maximum effort all the time.
Maggie Werner-5’10 F-’22-Hortonville: In all honesty, I probably could list any Hortonville forward on this list. However, I have good reason to put Werner on this list. When I saw her play against Germantown, Werner quietly controlled the paint well. Werner’s rebounding is what killed the Warhawks. By herself, the Polar Bear had 11 rebounds, and the Warhawks as a team had 22. Werner also used her size against a relatively small Warhawk team to dominate the painted area. Werner is an excellent softball player, along with being a good basketball player, so I’m not sure what she’ll want to do at the next level. That said, Werner is a winning player who will help a team in either sport at the next level win some games.