NC All-Defense Team: Part 1
Although the high school basketball season ended months ago, we decided to take a close look at some of the most underrated players of the season and that is the top defensive players. Of course the players that normally get the headlines are the guys that can score 30 but these players that are mentioned can make just as much of an impact on the defensive end of the floor.
Village Christian Forward Nassyr Daniels: There are not too many times that you will see a player put together a triple double the way Nas did this season. In one game in particular he came up with 10 blocks to complete the triple double which is no small feat, especially at 6’7. He has great timing and does a good job of defending without fouling, very nice pickup for Mars Hill.
Northwood Temple Forward Manny Bates: He’s 6’10 and has added to his game each and every year, one attribute that he’s pretty much always had is his ability to block shots. He has long arms and with the increased vertical, he can block even more shot than in prior years.
Westover HS Forward Jalin Thorne: He’s a young man that is still finding his way on the court offensively but on the defensive end he is a pretty solid player. He does a nice job of communicating with his guards in P&R situations and is also a nice help side defensive player, interest from LM and D2 programs.
Messiah Barnes Terra Ceia Christian: He’s another small guard that brings bigtime effort on the defensive end of the floor, he has a pretty solid frame and has nice end to end speed. He was one of the leaders in the state in Steals Per game with an average of 4.5, and brings defensive intensity every time he steps on the court.