DEFENSE At The Sophomore ID Camp

Sometimes players don't think about their defense at a camp or showcase, and instead focus on offensive highlights. But in Grand Rapids, some of the sophomores let their defensive games shine. We're going to check out a few of those athletes.   Check out more coverage of the Sophomore ID Camp below:   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-prep-hoops wp-block-embed-prep-hoops"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://prephoops.com/2026/08/sophomore-id-camp-all-star-team/ </div></figure>    Cook has size and strength and he's obviously been taught to use those traits on defense. Cook establishes defensive position and is willing to use his frame to keep it. Tons of defensive upside as well.     Hayes will be must see up north. He really impressed me with his light feet and body control. Those things translated to the defensive end of the floor. Hayes was forced to guard much smaller players at times, and he did a great job staying in front of them.     Hensel had 1 defensive play that really stood out. A teammate got beat, and instead of standing and watching glued to his man, Hensel slid down and blocked the shot from behind. He showed intelligence, effort, and defensive vision in that play.     I love when I see players make a difference through effort. That's exactly what Lee did. He was a high energy defender who was willing to outwork his opponent. If Lee can bottle up that defensive energy and open it up every game, he can be a difference maker on that end.     I loved Earl's defensive highlight. The opposing team had a fast break. Instead of watching them score, Earl sprinted back and picked up a huge transition stop. Those are defensive plays that win games.     We all want to score, but defending the ball is an easy way to add points to your stat line. Johnson did just that with a nice steal and score at the other end.     Ribel showed off his perimeter defense and defensive anticipation. He jumped a dribble move and swiped the ball away.     Overbeek picked up an energy steal at the camp. He chased down a ball handler, back tapped the ball, and picked up the steal.     Champagne showed that he's a 2 way star. He had an athletic block from behind that basically took away a bucket.

Sometimes players don't think about their defense at a camp or showcase, and instead focus on offensive highlights. But in Grand Rapids, some of the sophomores let their defensive games shine. We're going to check out a few of those athletes.