6A Great 8 Notes: Defensive Stoppers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These athletes left their fingerprints all over their matchups, taking on particularly skilled opponents or providing multiple opportunties for turnovers. Their defensive discipline played pivotal roles for their teams to make it this far into the playoffs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1369779"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Gasaway was excellent at the point of attack, leveraging his wide reach to poke away the ball from any opponent. HIs assertive habits kept opponents uncomfortable, effectively taking away their space and forcing a rushed decision. While off-ball he was constantly a threat slashing to the rim, effective finishing through contests and contact.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e266be5a620"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1318394"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Sylla leveraged his positional strength and wide reach to mitigate plenty of layups around the rim. Certainly a strong forward who is capable of battling with the biggest opponents in the state, he held his own against rising sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2107072' first='Oliver' last='Junker']. Effective in maintaining his position with both hands up, Sylla was more often than not the beneficiary of blocks or altered shot attempts from opponents.  He showed confidence in the post, vying for position to allow entry passes, often pivoting into right hand attempts.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e266be5a6ca"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1622321"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Paine's well timed rotations kept Rock Canyon from contributing quite a few attempts around the rim. Going up with both hands while maintaining his defensive position and staying strong, his interior presence kept plenty of shots from falling. Providing versatile defense either from the interior or perimeter. His presence allows ThunderRidge a wide range of defensive lineups, capable of playing multiple bigs or going to him as the lone physical forward.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e266be5a73c"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1421260"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Dixon provided vertical pressure against opponents, effectively getting up to contest the large number of rim attempts from Chaparral's backcourt. His notably strong frame allowed him to guard up against their bigs or utilize his quickness to switch onto guards if necessary. They were the beneficiary of tight angled passes and layup attempts following a well timed cut. Leading this group with 23 points on 8 of 8 from the field, there is little more the forward could have done to secure a victory. Although having to match up against taller frontcourt opponents, Dixon had no trouble asserting himself in the paint, particularly on the defensive side.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e266be5a7ad"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1195029"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"The guard's wide reach allowed him to get into opponents' space with great accuracy, capable of tipping away the ball while at the point of attack. He was the beneficiary of multiple steals in the first half, propelling Eaglecrest off to a 15-point lead going into the half. The guard's wide reach and strong frame make him a versatile matchup against backcourt opponents and some forwards, not to mention he is active crashing the glass following a shot attempt.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e266be5a819"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2107072"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Junker's discipline in the post is unlike the vast majority of frontcourt athletes at his age. Bringing active hands and deliberate positioning down low, he does a great job taking away space from his nearest matchup. The strong frame complements his tendencies, providing this Mountain Vista group with a strongarm who meets opponents at the rim. While on the opposite end, Junker was active diving to the rim following ball screens, putting immediate pressure on the defense.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e266be5a884"} /-->