Back to School Special – Best Defenders

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We spent the summer getting to know new, up-and-coming players and monitoring the progress of risers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But with another school year in session, it's time to get reacquainted with the best of the best in the state. We looked at some of the offensive skill sets, as well as rebounding. But half of the game is played at the defensive end. So let's look at some of Kansas' top defenders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's tempting to pick a bunch of shot blockers for this category. But we tried to take all aspects of defense into consideration, particularly valuing versatility and the ability to guard multiple positions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(FYI, obviously, some guys could have qualified in more than one category. But in order to cover the best in the state, we only considered each individual player for one of seven categories. No repeats.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kansas' Best Defenders, 2023-2024:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1588339' first='Amalachi' last='Wilkins'], 6-foot-7 forward, 2025, Wichita Heights (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wilkins got on the floor for the state's best team in 2021-2022 as a freshman for one reason: defense. Even as a raw ninth grader, he had all the tools to impact the game on defense. Even then, he was long, incredibly explosive, and agile. He embraced the role, protecting the rim for the state champs. He's since developed physically and added new aspects to his game. But he's still the same long-armed, shut-down defender with perhaps the most raw athleticism in the state. If you were going to design the ideal defender, you would come up with something very similar to the Wichita Heights' junior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1588418' first='Daniel' last='Cramer'], 5-foot-9 guard, 2025, Dighton:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At the opposite end of the spectrum from Wilkins, we have a small guard at the smallest classification in the state. Cramer disrupts the game by attacking opposing guards in the backcourt. He's strong and low to the floor, moving quickly to cut off drivers and make dribbling the ball up court miserable. He jumps passing lanes and turns interceptions into runouts. He averaged 6 steals a game as a sophomore.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1799266' first='Chase' last='Honarvar'], 6-foot-7 center, 2025, Bishop Seabury:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another small school defender, Honarvar takes pride in his work on the defensive end, particularly as a shot blocker. He slides his feet to get in position and helps off on drivers. Once he gets into the body of a shooter, it's almost impossible to get off an attempt. He stays straight up uses his long arms to thwart shots without picking up fouls. He averaged 6 blocks as a sophomore.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1390595' first='Kalen' last='Streit'], 6-foot-2 guard, 2024, Bonner Springs:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Streit is a versatile defender. He can block shots with his remarkable spring and long arms. He is thin and wiry, which allows him to slide and slice through traffic to get in position. He has quick hands and feet to stay with drivers on the perimeter, and he has the athleticism to be a top playmaker in the open court. Streit can guard just about every spot on the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1953942' first='Hudson' last='Baker'], 6-foot-8 center, 2024, Labette County:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We'll finish this list with another big man. Baker is one of the tallest players in the state, so he's got the length to clog up the middle and make interior passing tough. Once a shot goes up, Baker has spring to go up and thwart shots. And he has good athleticism and coordination to move into position, step out to the perimeter and run the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Other top defenders (in alphabetical order):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>James Allen</strong>, Spring Hill</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tyus Becker</strong>, Herington</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1461342' first='Zac' last='Evans'], Valley Falls</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2169821' first='Tyler' last='Holmes']</strong>, Bishop Ward</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1588346' first='Jacorey' last='Robinson'], Highland Park</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2209736' first='Ethan' last='Taylor']</strong>, Shawnee Mission Northwest</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1580564' first='Dezmond' last='Winton'], Wellsville</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->