Xaverian Classic: Defensive Dogs

New readers: Use code Proia30   The annual Xaverian Classic always is a good opportunity to see top local talent square off against high-level teams from neighboring states as well as a few national teams from across the country. Within the classic there is a bracket play tournament as well as showcase games throughout the 3-day weekend that give the fans and media members a good mix of competitive matchups. Let's dive into some of my favorite defensive players in the event!    5p 9a 6r 6s vs Carroll   -Yates was absolutely crucial in a bounce-back win for Neumann-Goretti in the DMV as a POA defender that was a menace both on and off the ball. On the ball- he did a great job of shading Brown/Bolding towards the sidelines or towards help but also got in their pockets to slap away steals on their way up to get into their shooting motion. Loved the timing of his crack-downs onto post players to force steals or force them to give up on a post move and clear the ball back out to the perimeter. Yates' defense ignited the offense for NG in a nice statement win.     9p 1r 5s vs Good Counsel   -Loved the defensive activity and how Walker really stepped up to give the Tigers a boost at both ends of the floor. Walker's shooting night started off cold, so he in turn ratcheted up the defense in the 2H half to get his team (and himself) going in transition by swiping away steals off the ball and getting under his matchup on dribble pick-ups to force a tough pass or a TO. Walker's quickness with the ball in his hands at the offensive end translated well to his ability to anticipate changes in direction at the defensive end of the floor. Should see a nice jump in our next set of updated rankings.     28p 7r 1s 1b vs Carroll   -Probably the most well-rounded performance that I've seen out of Newson as a versatile guard prospect that excelled at both ends of the floor. Offensively we got to see the full array of skills on C2C drives off of defensive rebounds, drive and kicks, and turnaround baseline Js. But I thought that his biggest contributions were at the defensive end of the floor. Newson genuinely guarded 2-5 on the day and did well on switches on the perimeter while also pushing Carroll's bigs off their spot on the low block. His best stretch game on a steal and C2C double clutch lay through the contact (completed the three point play at the FT line) followed by blocking a big at the rim before taking it C2C again for the inside hand finish through the foul. How dynamic of an athlete he is should really flip some games for NG this season.     12p 6r 1s 1b vs Neumann Goretti   -I wrote about Beng in my standouts article for forward prospects but also wanted to touch on his defense in this one. Beng's ability to cover ground defensively while also having the strength/size to fight for position with the bigs in the paint should unlock the lineup versatility for this Lions group. His spatial awareness to bump cutters from the middle of the floor but also take the right angles in drop or ICE ball screen coverages stood out because keeping NG's guards out of the paint took a bite out of their offensive production. His anticipation for when to stay down on pump fakes around the rim or jump to contest or block the shot has been steadily improving in the past few months. Excited to see him progress over the course of the year.     -I always love when a prospect doesn't let his offense dictate his intensity at the defensive end of the floor. Playing in a pretty crowded group of upperclassmen guards, Middleton has carved out a nice niche as a 2-way PG that can put pressure on the rim at the offensive end of the floor and get into his matchup's airspace at the opposite end. His ability to anticipate and get over the top of ball screens both in the middle of the floor and in the slot gave Spalding a nice boost in spurts to keep ballhandlers outside of the 3 point line. Middleton is also usually in the right place as a helper and does a good job of forcing turnovers without fouling, both of which are encouraging indicators of long term success at the PG position.     2p 4r 1a 1b vs Jackson Reed   -Snapping up some long term stock in Tarkang after seeing him this weekend. Standing at least 6'4 with a +wingspan and a sturdy frame, Tarkang projects to be a physical 2-way wing that takes pride in locking down opposing 2-4 players. Tarkang stays down on shot fakes on the perimeter but understands how to vacuum up the space once his opponent picks up the ball and has active hands to disrupt passing windows. Excited to see how his game progresses as the season pushes on and how he is used within different lineup combinations for Good Counsel.

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