Top 250 Expo: 2019 Top Defenders
This year’s Prep Hoops Florida Top 250 Expo saw great talent from all over the state play with intensity, with grit, and with a determination to show who was the best on the court. Check out the Class of 2019 hoopers who made their presence felt on the defensive end.
Johnnie Williams IV – Booker HS: The senior is a 6’5” wing who can make things a nightmare defensively out on the perimeter. Didn’t see ball-handlers drift past him on the drive. During a fast-break for the opponent, Williams paced his speed just right to be able to swat a layup from behind and prevent the easy score. Loved his motor.
Thadeus Williams – King HS: If a ball-handler was looking to penetrate the paint, he’d get upset at finding Williams hiding in the lane, looking for the strip. His 5’9” frame allowed him to get lower than most, and make steals right before the shot went up. He’s a guy that’s straight up pesky on D.
Jaylon Smith – Santa Fe Catholic: Here’s another guy who made getting up shots in the paint difficult. Once you penetrated the lane, Smith looked to steal & succeeded more than a couple times. At 6’4”, it was tough for dribblers to get past him, all day. He was great at bottling people up the closer they got to the rim.
J’Quan Ferrol – Okeechobee HS: This 6’6” wing/stretch-four made it a point to swat away a few balls throughout the day, making it hard for opponents to get shots off in the midrange. If you so happened to pull down an offensive rebound, Ferrol was right there waiting to strip the ball away once you tried to go right back up. I can see him being a nightmare for offenses come season’s start.
Spencer Green – Venice HS: Unafraid. Best word to describe Green, considering his defensive rebounding ability. He went up for every last one of them, no matter if he came down with them or not. Great to see the competitiveness he had with those smaller and larger than him. Going up against Green on the glass was no easy task.