Prep Hoops Top 250: Top Defenders
The annual Prep Hoops Top 250 took place in Des Moines on Saturday afternoon. Throughout the week, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best players in the gym, in a series of articles breaking down the top…
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Continue ReadingThe annual Prep Hoops Top 250 took place in Des Moines on Saturday afternoon. Throughout the week, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best players in the gym, in a series of articles breaking down the top scorers, defenders, passers, etc. In this article, we take a look at the top defenders we saw on Saturday.
2024 Joe Bean (Cedar Rapids)
The only eighth grader in the gym on Saturday, Bean didn’t back down from anyone and proved himself to be one of the best on-ball defenders at the Top 250. He’s listed at 5-10, but is probably closer to 5-8, but he was relentless on that end of the floor, picking ball handlers up full court sometimes, making them turn and applying constant pressure. He has quick feet and even quicker hands, and should be a great on-ball defender for whichever program he ends up at (he said he doesn’t know where he’ll play in high school yet).
2021 Connor Drew (Ballard)
Drew, a 6-6 forward, has made his name known around the state for his scoring and rebounding prowess, but I thought he played really well on the defensive end of the floor on Saturday. He’s not an overwhelming athlete, but he makes up for his lack of lateral quickness with great positioning, communication and awareness on the defensive end of the floor. He has a decent wingspan, and he does a great job of contesting shots without fouling. If he can keep turning himself into a solid defender, with his ability to score and rebound on the other end of the floor, he’ll be a highly coveted player.
2021 Wyatt Heston (Waukee)
Heston could’ve also been written about in the “top shooters” article, because he was outstanding shooting the basketball as well. I love his long-term potential as a 3-and-D wing at the small college level. He’s 6-7 and long, switchable on defense and he communicates well on that end of the floor. I was highly impressed with Heston on both ends of the floor, and he’s a guy that area schools will need to start prioritizing, because he has the looks of a really, really good small college 3-and-D wing.
2021 Bentor Neyail (Ankeny)
A 6-7, athletic big man, Neyail played in just two games with Des Moines East’s varsity team last year, and appears to have made the move to Ankeny. He’s incredibly raw on the offensive end, and has a ways to go on the defensive end of the floor as well in terms of awareness, knowing when to contest, etc. But there are some shades of former Grand View Christian/current Drake big man Issa Samake in there. He’s big, hyper athletic and incredibly long, and could become a very valuable piece on the defensive end with his ability to protect the rim. Coach him up, and you could have a great defender.
Other top defenders who were already written about: 2020 Caleb Haag (Waterloo West) [Written about in the Top Performers article], 2021 Reid Grant (Johnston) [Will be written about in Top Passers article], 2021 Shuntavis Wortham (Waterloo West) [Will be written about in New Names article]