Holiday Hoops: Top defenders we watched

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defense wins. Everybody knows it but precious few really want to do it. Those who do are worth their weight in wins. Here are some competitors we watched at the holiday tournaments who delivered top-notch defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='569466' first='Ellie' last='Keenan'] and [player_tooltip player_id='569487' first='Megan' last='Corkery'] <strong>– 2023 guards, Minnetonka</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're going to have a rundown shortly on some of the most dynamic duos we watched this week at the holiday tournaments and these two could certainly be included in that write-up. Given their impact on the defensive end of things for Minnetonka, however, we can't pass up the opportunity to recognize Megan and Ellie (photo above) for their excellence in that department. Keenan, a 5'6 senior, sees the floor well, understands the concepts, knows what she needs to do and then does it. Ditto for Corkery, a 5'4 guard whose game has been a revelation in recent weeks. Both players are thriving under the leadership of first-year head coach Brian Cosgriff and his assistant Andy Berkvam, who is in charge of stopping the other team from scoring. The pair are playing with immeasurable passion and relentless energy and the resulting success is going to transform their prospects as collegiate players. Both were added to the Prep Girls Hoops rankings in December. On Thursday we watched Ellie and Megan hold Robbinsdale Armstrong floor general [player_tooltip player_id='108330' first='Karlee' last='Fisher'], a Top 60 prospect bound for MSU-Moorhead, without a point. That's not a knock on Karlee by any means – she's going to get hers nearly every time out – but it is a testament to the impact great defense can have on a basketball game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":415318,"width":512,"height":341,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/04/Mikayla-Thomas-scaled.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-415318" width="512" height="341" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='178272' first='Mikayla' last='Thomas'] <strong>– 2024 forward, Spring Lake Park</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thomas does so many things proficiently or above. She is an excellent mid-range shooter, runs the floor extremely well with long strides and great pace, and she gets to the rim consistently thanks to the ability to get up off the floor and leave defenders in her wake. That's why she holds Division 1 scholarship offers and is a Top 10 prospect in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2024.  Mikayla's biggest assets, though, are her length and athleticism which were on full display Wednesday at Eastview in the new District 196 winter tournament. She scored 16 points against the always stingy Rosemount Irish, which is no small feat in itself. On this night, however, it was her much-improved defense that drew the most attention. She was a high-flying, lords-a-leaping, shot-blocking machine. Mikayla had a half-dozen blocks in the first period alone, not to mention all of the deflections, tips and otherwise disruptive behaviors of the most desirable kind. Thomas was everywhere, which is a big reason why the Irish were nearly shut out from long distance all night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":576009,"width":400,"height":263,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/Rylee-Young-crop-2619x1720-1672591722.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-576009" width="400" height="263" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rylee Young</strong> <strong>– 2023 guard, South Ridge</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The senior from Northern Minnesota was given an assignment on Thursday morning against Cass Lake-Bena: Stick with Panthers guard [player_tooltip player_id='396431' first='Gabby' last='Fineday'] like gum on the bottom of a grade school desk. Ick. The 5'4 fireball embraced the assignment with every ounce of her being, and it was clear from the beginning that Gabby, who had been averaging well north of 30 points per game in the past couple of weeks, was going to be suffocated as much as is humanly possible. We loved Young's passion and tenacity. Whenever Fineday found some space and made a shot Young doubled down again and went right back at it. Rylee ended up holding Fineday to just four field goals and 12 points while scoring 9 points of her own. Young eventually fouled out with 90 seconds remaining. At the other end of the floor guards [player_tooltip player_id='474479' first='Adella' last='Olesiak'] and [player_tooltip player_id='461353' first='Svea' last='Snickers'], along with 6'1 sophomore post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='948880' first='Mercedes' last='Lawrence']</strong>, took care of business by combining for 33 points in a hard-fought 50-47 victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":576007,"width":400,"height":263,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/Grace-Weber_Wayzata-crop-2421x1590-1672591630.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-576007" width="400" height="263" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Grace Weber</strong> <strong>– 2023 guard, Wayzata</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From the moment Julie Stewart took over as head coach at Wayzata she has been enamored by the contributions of her uber-athletic, ultra-quick guard. And why not. Weber is the quintessential athlete, an elite level track star (committed to the University of Minnesota) who can get from A to B and back as quickly as anyone. That, along with a bulldog mentality and the ability to get dialed in on the task at hand, makes her an outstanding defender. Weber has embraced the assignment, and Thursday's win over Mandan (North Dakota) at the Granite City Classic was yet another example of it as the Trojan's defense – well really their whole package – was just too much for our neighbors from the Northwest. At just 5'6, Weber gets more than her share of rebounds because she can elevate, capture space and time her leaps just right. Weber is also very good at producing turnovers and creating steals. She's super quick laterally and brings the energy every time out. The player they call ‘Fuzz' earned All-Conference honorable mention last year in the Lake Conference which is the toughest in the state. Period. Full stop. End of debate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->