2021 Rankings Update: Underrated Defenders

<p>Members of the Prep Hoops SoCal staff put their collective minds together to come up with the most comprehensive rankings the region has to offer for the class of 2021. In keeping with our content theme of breaking down this rankings update, in this piece we take a look at some of the underrated defenders in this class.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="680225" first="Barry" last="Wilds"]</strong>, Fairfax - It was rare to see Fairfax in a straight-up man-to-man defensive scheme because its full court pressure was so effective, but Wilds thrived in both settings. The lightning-quick 5-foot-11 guard not only hounded ball handlers into turnovers, but he used that speed, along with his anticipation ability, to shoot passing lanes for steals and deflections.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="747109" first="Tyson" last="Robinson"]</strong>, El Camino - The 6-foot combo guard is built like a defensive back and possesses the speed and physicality of one, as well. Robinson, with those aforementioned traits and his lateral speed, has the ability to speed up and contain most of the primary ball handlers he defends. Robinson also has a quick set of hands which allow him to pick pocket his opponent when they get loose with the basketball.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="680244" first="TJ" last="Muhammad"]</strong>, Crossroads - It would be difficult for you to find a more pesky and smart on-ball defender in SoCal than Muhammad. The 5-foot-8 point guard picks up the ball 94-feet and does a nice job turning the ball handler multiple times before he reaches half-court. Muhammad gets low to the ground in his defensive stance and that, coupled with his quickness, helps him keep guys in front though he’s at a size disadvantage in some of his assignments.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="951220" first="KJ" last="Bradley"]</strong>, Crenshaw - What makes Bradley such a good defender is the fearlessness in which he plays with. The 5-foot-11 point guard accepts any and all defensive assignments, and more often than not, he wears down that opponent with his toughness and physicality on the ball. Bradley has impressive anticipation when it comes to poking crossover dribbles away from the ball handler for steals.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="951313" first="Anthony" last="Robinson"]</strong>, Long Beach Poly - Robinson is a guy who the Jackrabbits could count on for multiple steals a game and in a variety of ways: Whether it was jumping a passing lane while pressuring or just straight ripping the ball handler and taking it the other way for a layup. Robinson is one of the quickest players in Southern California - both vertically and laterally - which makes his ability to recover after getting blown and containing something that few other players in SoCal possess.</p>