Defensive Prospects: Class of 2023
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I love watching elite-level defenders play basketball. In the class of 2023, a few players are worth noting for their defensive prowess. These players all bring something different to the defensive end of the floor. The talent that the class…
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Continue ReadingI love watching elite-level defenders play basketball. In the class of 2023, a few players are worth noting for their defensive prowess. These players all bring something different to the defensive end of the floor. The talent that the class of 2023 has from top to bottom is impressive, and within that class, the talent is diverse. I have four players I’d like to talk about due to their defensive ability. These four players listed are in no particular order.
Lili Hartel Lili Hartel 5'9" | CG Mukwonago | 2023 State WI -5’9 G/F-Mukwonago: Hartel is one of the toughest players to play against in Wisconsin. The junior is tough to play against due to her attention to detail and physicality. And when I use the term, physicality it’s not in terms of being fouled hard. It has more to do about bumping people off their spots. Hartel won’t let people get to where they want to go. A good example is if a player is running off a screen and trying to get the ball at the top of the key, Hartel will force the catch to be five feet behind the top of the key. When Hartel is on the floor and Mukwonago isn’t in a zone, she makes games incredibly hard for offensive-minded wings.
Ellie McDermid Ellie McDermid 6'2" | C Bay Port | 2024 State WI -6’2 F-Bay Port: The one takeaway I have from McDermid’s game as a whole is that she has great hands. The junior has a great catch radius and gets rebounds at the highest points that she possibly can. Defensively her hands are also valuable. The Pirate is a member of the two steals and two-block club. The six-foot-two forward is quicker than one would expect, which helps her deflect passes. When it comes to her blocking shots, she has good hand-eye coordination helping her make plays on shots in the paint.
Madilyn Dogs Madilyn Dogs 6'0" | CG Kewaskum | 2023 State WI -6’0 F-Kewaskum: The best part about Dogs’ defensive ability is that you can probably ask her to defend anyone on the floor. The six-foot forward possesses quickness and length that can overwhelm some players. Defensively, having her on the floor means that you can do almost anything you want schematically. It’s easy to play a switching defense with the junior if that’s what a coach wants to do. The issues that Dogs poses as a defender not many players can solve. For one, she plays with a ton of effort, so it probably feels like she’s in multiple places at once. The other main problem is that getting breathing room with her guarding a ball handler is difficult.
Lily Cayley Lily Cayley 5'8" | CG Eau Claire Memorial | 2023 State WI -5’8 G-Eau Claire Memorial: Cayley is one of the quickest guards in Wisconsin. Most of the time, that trait shows up when the junior blows by defenders for layups. However, Cayley jumps passing lanes with that same quickness. This season, Cayley averaged five steals per game. When Cayley makes plays on the ball defensively, it usually leads to a great transition opportunity. Her game is direct and efficient. Cayley is very flexible defensively as well. For instance, she has great instincts playing a full-court press, and she doesn’t get beat off the dribble very often in the halfcourt. I’m curious about where she ends up after graduating.