Arizona Winter Showcase Recap: Top Defenders

<p>The Winter Showcase is taking place December 12th, and 13th at the Phhacility in Phoenix, AZ, hosted by recruiting legend Gerry Freitas, the two-day event featured some of the top programs on the West Coast. It also featured several guys that could straight up lock up. In this article, we take a look at the top defenders from the event. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1076667" first="Isaiah" last="Carr"] <em>6’11 C Team Swoosh Nike 2022</em> <em>(featured image)</em> - Even when Carr isn’t playing well he provides rim protection. Blocked and altered countless shots throughout the week. Carr is a rangy shot blocker with the ability to get to shots he shouldn’t. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="747103" first="Hayden" last="Gray"] <em>6’3 SG Gamepoint 2021</em> - Gray was a willing defender, who sat down in a stance and challenged every dribble. Has a good combination of upper body strength and lateral quickness. Was surprisingly good at protecting the rim from his position, getting several blocks throughout the week. </p> <p><strong>Lewis Singleterry</strong> <em>5’11 PG Gamepoint 2021</em> - A true dawg with a pit bull mentality. Singleterry refused to get beat off the bounce, defending at a high level throughout the event. He’s quick and pesky and did a good job of staying in front of ballhandlers and keeping them off balance. </p> <p><strong>Matt Villanueva</strong> <em>5’10 PG Arsenal 2021</em> - He came up with some clutch defense in the game I saw. Jumped the passing lane a couple of times for steals., and came up with several big-time back taps to force turnovers. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="971239" first="Malachi" last="Murrell"] <em>6’2 SF Gamepoint 2022</em> - You’re going to notice a theme in this article. Murrell is another Gampoint product and may be the best defender overall. It’s his versatility that makes him unique. Literally defended every position on the floor throughout the week and can impact the game defensively at multiple levels. He is good on ball, plays passing lanes well, and can protect the rim</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="747092" first="Keavie" last="Love"] <em>6’2 SG Gamepoint 2021</em> - Love is a strong athletic defender that can dominate an opposing ballhandler. First problem when challenging him is that he’s so quick laterally, the second problem is that it’s impossible to bully him. He also has quick hands, allowing him to get tips and deflections while the defender is dribbling. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="680245" first="Trevan" last="Martin"] <em>6’4 SF Gamepoint 2021</em> - Martin is a bigger version of Love and Gray. Like both of them, he has a physically impressive frame, which allows him to absorb contact. He was terrific in help defense situations, hedging and recovering as well as taking several charges. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1076677" first="Jose" last="Murillo"] <em>6’9 PF Team Swoosh Nike 2022</em> - Murrillo was one of the better low post defenders on the week. He’s strong enough to move post players from the block and has quick leaping ability that allowed him to challenge shots at the rim. He and Carr were a formidable frontcourt presence for Swoosh. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/7outzbballclub1">Follow Prep Hoops Nevada</a></p>