Defense First: Two Way Players Ready to Shine This Spring/Summer

Playing both sides of the ball is a vital and necessary skill to play at the next level and North Carolina is blessed to have many great defensive players that often get overlooked because they're not super high volume scorers but still provide a massive impact on their teams success. Without further delay, let's take a deeper look at this group of guys that can really defend at a very high level!    Brown ascended to the top ten of the 2027 rankings as he showed a ton of progress in his development over the course of his junior season as a rim running defensive anchor with a ton of versatility on that end of the floor. He'll be running with Top Shot UAA 17u this spring/summer and his development has a chance to be on full display in front of a ton of coaches. Brown has the ability to switch out and guard on the perimeter while maintaining his presence as a rim protector. He's simply too active to ignore on that end of the floor and should continue to add strength to his frame to ensure he can really play the physical nature of the game down low with more bruising bigs. On the offensive end he's really worked to improve his hands, allowing him to finish around the rim with more consistency and be a true vertical spacer at that end of the floor. Watching Brown translate potential to production this season was really encouraging and he now has a chance to show that and then some this summer on a massive stage.     Smith is a very dynamic point of attack defender and it will be a prominent part of his impact on this very talented [program_tooltip program_id='2220892' first='Team' last='United'] EYBL 16u group. Smith had what was a truly special sophomore season at Hunter Huss with the ability to take over a game with his offensive ability as a scorer and playmaker. On this [program_tooltip program_id='2220892' first='Team' last='United'] team, he won't have the same type of usage but he can absolutely have a massive impact as his defense will shine. He averaged over 6 steals per game this past season and he does a great job converting those into easy buckets with his dynamic speed in transition. Smith showed a ton of progress in his outside touch, going from a sub 30% shooter from deep to almost 35% in one season while increasing the volume. His athleticism, attitude, and IQ make him a truly dynamic defender on the ball which should bode well for both him individually and [program_tooltip program_id='2220892' first='Team' last='United'] collectively as they look to go for Peach Jam glory this season.     Emerson is a very impactful two way player and did a great job this season as he helped Greensboro Day win an NCISAA 3A State Championship. Emerson has the ability to play in a variety of spots at both ends of the floor and that two way versatility will be incredibly valuable for [program_tooltip program_id='2375668' first='SW15H' last='Elite'] UA Rise 17u which is where he'll be playing this spring/summer. Emerson has the ability to play on or off the ball as he has great size for a kid with that skillset. He's really good at getting downhill and creating contact that he can finish through or end up at the line. I think he'll have a bit more of an offensive role on this team than he did with Greensboro Day last season but that should prepare him for what's to come there next season. Emerson has a super high motor, great instincts, and physical traits as a defender. That will earn him equity with Coach Scott Wood over the course of the season and allow him to play an important role for this very talented group.     Henriques will look to help anchor the [program_tooltip program_id='2078500' first='Garner' last='Road'] 3SSB 17u defense this spring/summer after doing that for Southern Durham to help them win an NCHSAA 7A State Championship. Henriques isn't a big time scorer but he provides an incredible impact on the defensive end of the floor along with his ability to rebound the basketball at both ends of the floor. Henriques does a great job staying vertical on his contests and is more than willing to play a physical brand of basketball. Working with Coach David West will tremendously help his development at both ends of the floor as he continues to work himself into a complete player. Henriques physical gifts, activity, and sheer presence will provide [program_tooltip program_id='2078500' first='Garner' last='Road'] with a real rim protector that will allow the other four guys on the floor to play with a little bit more of a safety net defensively. He's an under the radar, late blooming big man that could quickly turn the corner and launch himself up the rankings if he continues to hone his craft.     McCotter is a classic pest type perimeter defender that brings a ton of energy and activity to that end of the floor along with his offensive capabilities. After a strong season with Phoenix Montessori, McCotter is going to be running with [program_tooltip program_id='2078535' first='Team' last='Charlotte'] P32 17u this spring/summer for Coach Jeff McInnis. McCotter possesses the ability to initiate offense, touch the paint with consistency, and bring a ton of intensity to the point of attack on the defensive end of the floor. That is a must have type of trait when putting on a [program_tooltip program_id='2078535' first='Team' last='Charlotte'] jersey, they have a culture of toughness and pressure that McCotter will do a great job of living up to. He's got the ability to heat up and make shots from the outside along with having a ton of experience in big games to ensure he's ready to help [program_tooltip program_id='2078535' first='Team' last='Charlotte'] on the New Balance Circuit this season. As he continues to develop, I fully expect McCotter to get next level opportunities coming his way this year.

Playing both sides of the ball is a vital and necessary skill to play at the next level and North Carolina is blessed to have many great defensive players that often get overlooked because they're not super high volume scorers but still provide a massive impact on their teams success. Without further delay, let's take a deeper look at this group of guys that can really defend at a very high level!