Eugene Summer League: Lock Down Defenders

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eugene/Springfield summer league recently concluded at Springfield High School. The four week session featured Churchill, Sheldon, Willamette, North Eugene, Springfield, South Eugene, Thurston, and Marist Catholic. Here were our top 5 defensive standouts:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1480857" first="Devon" last="Anderson"] (2023 North Eugene)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anderson is a physical force on the defensive end of the court. He has show elite foot speed on the ball. Anderson really shines protecting the rim from help side. He had a couple of instances where he stopped easy layups with rim protection from the weak side with game changing blocks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1480858" first="Cooper" last="Case"] (2023 Churchill)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Case was the best wing defender over the four week session. His motor is elite and this allows him to create turnovers and extra opportunities for the Lancers. Case also is a plus rebounder who finishes off defensive possessions on the glass. He will be an anchor for the Lancer defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1079532" first="Bugsy" last="Jensen"] (2023 Churchill)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lancer guard likes to really get into guys and give them zero space to operate. A lot is being asked of Jensen on the offensive end, but I think he will really shine on defense this upcoming season with a Churchill team at full strength. He will also benefit from additional time working with Coach Stickney and his defensive system. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1483427" first="Mike" last="Small"] (2023 Willamette)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Small is a dominant force on the defensive end. He has a big, strong body to go along with solid footwork and foot speed. Weaker offensive players really struggled this spring and summer against Small particularly on ball. The Wolverines will need Small to create steals that lead to transition in order to be successful this next season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Koen Thurman (2024 South Eugene)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Axe guard plays with intensity and heart. He shines on the defensive end against players of similar size. Thurman is tenacious and flies around getting his hands on balls all over the court. We observed Thurman sacrificing his body multiple times in each game that he played in summer league.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->