Intriguing Rim Defenders in Iowa
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The best shot in basketball is still layups around the basket, and kids have attempted to make those shots difficult. Today, I want to highlight some of the best rim defenders and talk about what makes them so good at…
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Continue ReadingThe best shot in basketball is still layups around the basket, and kids have attempted to make those shots difficult. Today, I want to highlight some of the best rim defenders and talk about what makes them so good at making shots teams would like challenging and how they change the game.
Akuet Malek
The Kuemper Catholic forwards length changes how teams run their offense. Malek led the state by over 1.5 blocks per game, and it’s easy to understand how that happened. She does an excellent job not hunting for blocked shots but instead stays straight up contesting shots without fouling, and the blocks come naturally. She has room to grow as a player, but she already has elite skill in that aspect.
Brooklyn Love Brooklyn Love 6'1" | PF Waterloo West | 2024 State IA
The 6-foot-1 forward shows signs of an expanding game, scoring from multiple levels. However, defensively the Waterloo native showed can defend at a high level. Although her high school team wasn’t highly competitive, she displayed that she is one of the better rim protectors in the state, with nearly five blocked shots per game. Love is an athletic forward with good instincts that help her get into good positions to defend shots in transition. She’s done well on the defensive end to make things difficult for talented teams.
Rachel George Rachel George 5'11" | C Centerville | 2023 State IA
The Centerville forward is a versatile scorer on the offensive end and leaves her fingerprints over the game on the defensive end. George figured out ways to make winning plays on the defensive end by covering the baseline from the short corners and playing excellent help side defense for her team. She times jumps to block shots well and stays vertical to contest shots. It’s also no surprise she grabbed more than a quarter of her team’s rebounds last season as she dominated the area around the basket on both ends of the floor.
Madison Hillman Madison Hillman 6'1" | PF Saint Ansgar | 2023 State IA
The 6-foot-2 forward is a well-rounded athlete with plenty of balance and basketball IQ. She moves well for a kid with her size, and it’s clear because of how much ground she covers on the defensive end. When she sees danger in the flow of a game, Hillman tends to beat the play to where the shot will come from, and she ears blocked shots. The rising senior also plays hard, and she gets to some shot attempts, especially in transition, which doesn’t make sense. However, her effort level is so high she makes things happen that seem near impossible. Hillman is a coach’s dream.