Midwest Grind Session 17U Top Defenders

<p>There was a ton of talent on the floor at the Prep Hoops event in Wichita last weekend. Guys demonstrated a variety of skills. Defense is as much about heart and effort as it is about talent, and there were some guys who really got after it.</p> <p>Here is a look at some of the top defenders at the Midwest Grind Session (in alphabetical order):</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="891908" first="Jameer" last="Clemons"], 5-foot-10 guard, Midwest Magic Elite – Hernandez, Derby HS (pictured):</p> <p>Clemons never gave up on a play. Not one. He blocked numerous shots at the rim, showing remarkable hops and body control. Whether he was beaten by his own man, or someone else was getting to the goal, Clemons intercepted a lot of passes, and picked some pockets, making defense a huge part of his impressive game last weekend.</p> <p><strong>Joby Love</strong>, 2022, 6-foot-1 guard, Kansas Players, Maize South:</p> <p>Love takes a lot of pride in his defense, and he lets the other team know about it. He plays with an in-your-face aggression, and he’s athletic enough to back it up. He’s got lightning quick feet and hands, and he moves to cut off drivers. He loves to defend the inbound pass after a score, and it’s effective.</p> <p><strong>Jacobi Sebock</strong>, 2022, 6-foot-5 forward, Oklahoma Chaos, Midwest City HS:</p> <p>Sebock’s signature is toughness. He defends a variety of positions, and is really good at defending in the paint. He plays with physicality, going after every missed shot and banging against bigs.</p> <p><strong>Joshua Symonette</strong>, 2021, 6-foot-6 forward, Team Perry Ellis 34, Life Prep Academy:</p> <p>Like Williams, Symonette was really impressive in his club’s matchup with KC Spurs Black. Symonette went down battling in that game, contesting shots at the rim and working hard from end to end. All weekend long, he showed his ability to thwart shots and cause problems in the lane.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1075929" first="Keaton" last="Williams"], 2022, 6-foot-8 forward, Midwest Magic Elite – Hernandez, Wichita Southeast HS:</p> <p>Like his teammate Clemons, Williams blocked several shots at the rim, including some against the big and powerful front line of KC Spurs Black. Williams has long arms and legs, moves well through traffic, and has great instinct to get in the spot for the block. He is active and quick, causing a lot of disruption at the back of the Magic defense.</p> <p>Other top defenders at the Midwest Grind Session:</p> <p><strong>Jamouri McCalister</strong>, 2023, 6-foot-1 guard, Next Level Oklahoma, Del City HS</p> <p><strong>Demetrius Sharp</strong>, 2022, 5-foot-10 guard, Iron Sharpens Iron, Lake Hamilton HS</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1139918" first="Charlie" last="Russell"], 2022, 6-foot-4 forward, Western Kansas Elite, Trego HS</p>