SD Lockdown D

What wins games and championships? DEFENSE!   PHD is highlighting 15 South Dakota Lockdown Defenders.   What makes a Lockdown Defender?   Great anticipation, quick feet, extra hustle, lateral movement, understanding angles, altering/blocking/contesting shots, ubiquitous NRG, killer closeouts, helping the helper, bumping cutters, blue-collar work, quickness, athleticism, communication, grit, persistence, taking charges, effort, committing smart fouls, physicality, strength, length, heart, toughness communicating, unselfishness, clean footwork, awareness, sharp reactions, mental toughness, and many more.   See below for comments/info and the SoDak defenders.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/01/image_8e7c77.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1139275" style="width:310px;height:auto" /></figure>   Listed in no particular order   Avayla Jaacks (2025) |5'6 G| Canton   She defends and limits the opponent's best shooter. Jaacks sees the floor really well and can get through screens quickly/cleanly. Avayla has a knack for knowing what the opponent is trying to do to get open. Jaacks can box-out anyone on the floor no matter the size of who she's guarding.   [player_tooltip player_id='329045' first='Brynn' last='Oakland'] (2025) |5'8 G| Canton   She locks up point guards and primary ballhandlers. Oakland has quick feet and a no-quit attitude. She keeps her hands up/out and is constantly interrupting passing lanes. Brynn never lets the opposition get comfortable when they have the ball in their hands.   Caitlyn Pickett (2026) |5'8 F| Baltic   Pickett is flexible defends forward and post player. She does good work in the paint/around the basket. Caitlyn is also a strong force down low and a legit shot blocker. She rotates well on defense and gets the job done in both man & zone defense. Caitlyn plays tough D and the coaching staff believes in her.   Dana Harpe (2026) |5'11 G| Sioux Falls Washington   Lockdown defender for the 7-0 and #2 ranked Warriors. Dana is a very long athlete who can be disruptive pressuring the ball in the full court against smaller/quicker guards. She is also tall and strong enough to play near the basket and help the team rebound. Harpe has defensive diversity this gives the Warriors opportunities to play her at multiple spots and allows them flexibility when substituting other players.   Harper Kortemeyer (2027) |5'10 F| Baltic   Harper is versatile, she can defend guards, forwards, and taller players in general. Kortemeyer is long and athletic, she has the ability to create turnovers with her length. She is good at rating in man and zone defense. If the Bulldogs need a stop to a take something way from the opposing team, Coach Muston can count on Harper.   Izzy Davey (2025) |5'8 G| Tri-Valley   She plays the top of the Mustang 1-3-1. Tri-Valley has seen success defensively this year, they are currently forcing 26.6 turnovers per game (186 TO forced through 7 games), and recording 18.9 steals/game (132 total). Izzy is elite at the top of the zone D, she creates many opportunities for Tri-State. She is averaging 4.4 deflections (31 total) and 2.7 steals a game(19 total). The Mustangs success defensively is highly dependent on how disruptive Davey is.   [player_tooltip player_id='329046' first='Jenna' last='Vande Weerd'] (2025) |6'2 C| Canton   She is a tough post/frontcourt defender. Jenna has gotten really good on defense. She is disciplined, stays vertical, and does not swat at the ball for blocks. This has actually increased her blocks/game while staying out of foul trouble and on the court, which is a huge plus for the C-Hawks team.   Kaiya Lenderts (2027) |5'2 G| Baltic   Kaiya matches up with the opposing point guard and plays sticky defense. She is a smaller guard but is very fast. Lenderts has the ability to stall offensives, disrupt, and slow them up when they want to get into a set. Kaiya is equally effective in zone and man defense. She rotates/moves well and is a trustworthy player.   [player_tooltip player_id='448046' first='Katie' last='Vander Leest'] (2025) |5'7 G| Sioux Falls Christian   She is a flexible defender, Katie can defend positions 1-4. Vander Leest starts on the best player on the opposing team no matter what position they play. She will defend [player_tooltip player_id='375704' first='Addison' last='Neuendorf'] from Hamlin or defend [player_tooltip player_id='377192' first='Ashlyn' last='Koupal'] from Wagner. She has been doing this for 3 seasons for SFC and has defended the best players in years past very well. She has defended Reece Ross from STM, Katie Vasecka from Tea, and Emilee Fox from MVP. Katie takes pride in her 1 v. 1 defense and held Fox to 2 points total in 2 seasons. Vander Leest is a very good track and soccer player, she uses her speed, quickness, and basketball IQ to be a lockdown defender.   [player_tooltip player_id='782588' first='Sydney' last='Schaap'] (2026) |5'6 G| Sioux Falls Christian   She is a versatile defender, Sydney can defend position 1-4. Schaap will defend the girls above when [player_tooltip player_id='448046' first='Katie' last='Vander Leest'] isn't in the game. Sydney is undersized, but is incredibly strong for being a guard. Last season, she had to defend Langanger's from Sisseton at being only 5'6 tall. She uses her leverage so well and is able to beat the opponents to the spot defensively. Sydney is a good defender because she can be so versatile. She does well with being strong and physical when needed and is good at taking angles to cut off quicker guards.   Elk Point-Jefferson   [player_tooltip player_id='275728' first='Ashley' last='Brewer'] (2025) |5'10 F|   [player_tooltip player_id='275589' first='Bentlee' last='Kollbaum'] (2025) |5'11 F|   Cera Schmitz (2026) |5'5 G|   [player_tooltip player_id='275730' first='Courtney' last='Brewer'] (2025) |5'5 G|   Kaitlyn Van Roekel (2025) |5'4 G|   The Huskies are off to a hot 5-1 start and are receiving votes in the State Polls. EPJ does a great job defending as a unit. Cera, Kaitlyn, and Courtney are all very good on-the-ball defenders, they move their feet very well and are extremely good at reading player's tendencies throughout the game. Bentlee is a very versatile defender and can guard anywhere on the floor. Ashley does a great job with cleaning up the boards defensively, she rebounds the ball well. All of these Huskies do an impressive job of playing defense as a group and helping each other out. This includes multiple other players who come off the bench.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/01/image_8e7c77.png?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1139275" /></figure>

What wins games and championships? DEFENSE!