Underrated Defenders for the 2024 Class
In this article:
Defense in today’s game can be a challenge for many players because of how fast and talented these players are nowadays. Being able to stay in front of a quicker player or being able to hold your ground in the…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingDefense in today’s game can be a challenge for many players because of how fast and talented these players are nowadays. Being able to stay in front of a quicker player or being able to hold your ground in the post is what can get you minutes on the court. Here are my underrated defenders for the 2024 class.
Kipnis has turned into an excellent two-way player with his ability to guard the team’s best perimeter player. He moves his feet well when guarding quicker players and has a nose for the ball once he strips it away from a player. Kipnis will disrupt passing lanes and turn those turnovers into easy fastbreak points. At 6’3″ at the shooting guard position Kipnis can block a couple of shots whether that’s on a chase down or on a jump shot.
Abdullah is a speedy guard who can be a handful on defense. He can lock up anyone on the perimeter because of his timing when looking to strip the ball away from players. He moves laterally well giving players zero room to go anywhere on him. On the fastbreak, Abdullah will look to chase down players to poke the ball free using his speed to come up with multiple steals in a game. Look for Abdullah to continue to lockdown players this season.
Primas is a hybrid forward that can play multiple positions throughout a game as well as guard them. At 6’4″ with a long reach, Primas can make up for missed assignments from his teammates as he will look to contest any shot that goes up even if it’s not in his area. His recovery time is what makes him a feared shot-blocker with him constantly swatting shots within one possession. Primas can switch onto quick guards and switch onto players who are bigger than him.
Highlights
Noble is a 6’2″ guard with a lot of versatility in his game. On defense, Noble can guard anyone on the perimeter while also being able to guard down low in the paint against bigger players. He gets good air when trying to block shots in the paint and will look to strip the ball away from weaker players whenever he can. Noble shoots the cannon when trying to get into the passing lanes and more often than not it will lead to easy fastbreak points for his team.
Narducci is an elite perimeter defender and will not back down from guarding the other team’s best player on the perimeter. He fights over tough hard screens like it’s nothing as he will rip right through them making it tough for ball handlers to get by him. Narducci does a terrific job of helping trap players in the corner which can lead to a double team that causes multiple turnovers for the other team. He has amazing reaction timing as he can try to predict where the ball is going before that player even thinks about giving the ball up.