Slept-On Defensive Players

As the average amount of points scored by any given team throughout a season continues to skyrocket, defensive skills and abilities are often put on the back-burner in order to help players develop a silky-smooth jump shot instead of spending all of their time on slides and closeout drills. While this is understandable, the entire point of the game is to outscore the opponent after all, it still leaves a lot to be desired when coaches look for high quality defenders. With this idea in mind, continue reading for a look at some of the best and most underrated defenders in the great state of Idaho.

Jakin Calhoun Jakin Calhoun 6'8" | C Vallivue | 2022 State ID , Vallivue: Jakin has a strong presence in the paint and he does a great job as an underrated and under-appreciated rim protector. Jakin times his jumps really well whenever he decides to try and block a shot and ends up retaining a lot of those blocked shots as either defensive rebounds or his guards will grab the loose ball and convert. Either way, Calhoun is a really great defender who is often overlooked and is a sleeper in the paint.

Davis Thacker Davis Thacker 6'3" | SG Meridian | 2022 State ID , Meridian: Davis is a tough defender with the athletic ability and strength to guard 1-5. He has great size as a shooting guard and he can defend point guards with his lateral quickness, as well as big posts with a great vertical jump and strength in the post. Thacker is also really gifted on the offensive end, but is often overlooked for his defensive abilities. He does not back down from any opposing players and routinely finds himself making a big impact on the game.

Blake Hawthorne Blake Hawthorne 6'6" | SF Bishop Kelly | 2022 State ID , Bishop Kelly: Hawthorne has great size for his position as well and impacts the game in a variety of ways. Hawthorne is a really special talent who can guard any player on the floor and often makes big splashes on the outcomes of games in ways that never show up in a box score or on a stat sheet. Hawthorne makes great defensive reads and overall, he is a disruptor of the flow of the game which makes running an offense very difficult for opposing teams. Watch for Blake to make a big impact during the upcoming season on the defensive end.