Bash In The Desert Recap: All Masterlock Team (Top Defenders)
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Spring is here and that can only mean one thing. It’s Circuit Season! The Prephoops Circuit is upon us. I will be covering and providing exposure for the Hustle Region Circuit. The Hustle Region Circuit consists of AAU Programs from…
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Continue ReadingSpring is here and that can only mean one thing. It’s Circuit Season! The Prephoops Circuit is upon us. I will be covering and providing exposure for the Hustle Region Circuit. The Hustle Region Circuit consists of AAU Programs from California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and New Mexico. The circuit features 10 stops including the Hustle Region Final in Irvine July 15th – 17th. Stop 4 brings us to Phoenix, Arizona for the Bash In the Desert. The event featured over 80 teams. The event also featured several players with the ability to impact the game on the defensive end. In this article, we take a look at our top defenders from the event.
Marquise Renfro Marquise Renfro 6'0" | SG Atrisco Heritage | 2024 State NM 6’1 SF Rebels New Mexico 2024 (#12PHNM 2024) (featured image) – Loved what Renfro did on the defensive side. His instincts were remarkable, and he played the passing lanes effectively. He was decent on ball, but he impacted games with his ability to create turnovers. Renfro used good timing to jump passing lanes, create steals, and turn offense into defense.
Levi Rubin 6’3 SG Colorado Titans 2023 – I was watching some other players on the Titans when Rubin caught my eye. It was hard not to as he was one of the most aggressive players on the defensive side of the ball. Despite playing a 2-3 zone, Rubin was a tangible pest to anyone who came into his area. Whenever the opponent grabbed a defensive rebound and looked to advance, Rubin was there to make sure they couldn’t start the break.
Anthony Alvarez Anthony Alvarez 6'0" | SG Santa Fe Capital | 2023 NM 6’0 SG D1 New Mexico 2023 – For the second week in a row, Alvarez stood out to me with his defense. He has a strong upper body frame and good lateral quickness. His most important skill is his aggressiveness, he competes hard and makes it tough for opposing ballhandlers to get by.
De’Mari Larkins De’Mari Larkins 5'9" | PG Osseo | 2024 State MN 5’11 PG Minnesota Spartans 2024 – Larkins is uber quick and has the guts of a cat burglar. He’s not just a good on-ball defender, he’s a devastating one. Several times I watched as Larkins picked opposing ballhandlers clean, leading to easy layups at the other end. He’s an overall talented player, that has several offensive skills, however, his on-ball defense can only be defined as elite, making him one of the top defenders I saw during the event.
Miles Costello 6’1 PF IE FIre 2026 – Despite being one of the younger players on the floor, Costello’s defensive instincts were advanced. He’s extremely savvy off-ball and positioned himself perfectly several times. He was rewarded by taking several charges to help teammates who got beat off the bounce. The 8th grader stood in there and took three textbook charges in the game I watched.
JJ Buchanan JJ Buchanan 6'3" | SF Coronado | 2025 State NV 6’3 SF Prominent Elite 2025 – Buchanan brings a lot to the table, however, his combination of size and athleticism made him one of the top defenders I saw. What I really enjoyed watching was how much he bought into the defensive side of the ball. Buchanan willingly defended wing players and post players alike, making it difficult on both of them. He has all the tools to be a shut down defender at the high school level.
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