Top Defenders at the Florida Expo

There was a lot of talent at the Florida Expo. While many scorers stood out, there were also plenty of defenders who made life difficult for them and took pride in their defense. Here are the top 5.    [player_tooltip player_id='743362' first='Lavin' last='Savage'] (Cover Photo) was all up in the personal space of the ball handlers, giving them no time to get the offense going. Savage fought over every screen, and her quickness kept forcing the ball handlers to pick up their dribble. She immediately became one of my favorite players to watch at the entire showcase, as she was a nuisance all day, making ball handlers constantly aware of her presence every time they touched the ball. Despite her small stature, she played like she was the biggest player in the gym. Even when knocked to the floor, she was back up and playing defense before anyone even noticed.     Two minutes into the showcase, there was a loose ball on the floor at the top of the key. [player_tooltip player_id='633529' first='Mia' last='Chandler'], who was near the block, ran and dove for the ball, quickly getting it to her teammates for a score. This immediately put everyone on notice that she came to play. Mia was blocking shots left and right, holding her ground in the post against some very skilled players. None of the post moves worked on her, as she played straight up and blocked shots on release without fouling. Chandler also defended on the wing, getting low into her stance and moving well laterally. She was very aware in help defense, always ready to step in if any of her teammates got beat, either blocking or altering shots.     Keenedy Deal was very impressive, coming out with high energy from the start. I was surprised to learn she was in the 2028 class because she carried herself with the confidence and swagger of someone who believed she was the best in the gym. Deal was able to guard the quickest guards on the wing and the strongest forwards in the post. On two consecutive possessions, I watched Deal steal the ball from the point guard and score, then on the next play, she was in the post, blocked the center's shot, and scored again. Deal will be a must-see this season and gets my vote as one of the top players in the state for the class of 2028.     [player_tooltip player_id='248551' first='Alanna' last='Tatum'] was absolutely a true point guard on the offensive end, directing her team with precision, but it's rare to see a point guard like her also direct the team on defense. Tatum was calling out screens and cutters from across the floor. She was always in help-side defense, stopping penetration immediately on the strong side and forcing the offense to swing the ball on the weak side. Her defensive rotations were elite. Tatum's hands were always active, and her ability to shoot the gaps on bad passes really impressed me. She's an all-around defender and will be the leader on any team she plays for—definitely an elite talent.     [player_tooltip player_id='743520' first='Kimora' last='Green'] was picking up full court and bringing the pressure to every ball handler who had the tough task of getting past her—and very few were successful. Kimora held her ground against the best ball handlers, forcing them to dig deep into their skillset just to avoid losing the ball. Green was undoubtedly the strongest on-ball defender on the floor, so initiating contact with her did not end well. She also has track-level speed and quickness, along with a relentless motor and the will to make every possession for her matchup a long, tough battle. If you try to blow by her, she turns her hips like a defensive back and gets back into position quickly, leaving no space to score. Kimora has elite-level defense, and I don't see many matchups this high school season that she won't win.

There was a lot of talent at the Florida Expo. While many scorers stood out, there were also plenty of defenders who made life difficult for them and took pride in their defense. Here are the top 5.