2017 Top Wing Defenders – Washington State
When you think of an elite defender. You think of a player who accepts the challenge of guarding the best player on the opposing team. A player who would rather stop you from scoring than putting up a 20 piece himself. A player who thrives when there is 15 seconds left in the game and his job is win the game by stopping the opposing teams best player. Here are a few guys who are willing to step up and take that challenge.
Team Blackout 2020 standout Eric Butler has stated many times that, “defense is his top priority.” He played on the adidas Gauntlet this past spring and summer with Florida-based CP25 for his 15U season, and that was after a excellent freshman year with the Panthers in Alabama. With a couple of D1 schools already showing interest early in the game. Eric’s main focus will be just improving year in and year out.
Class of 2018 Nathan Hale High School, Freddy Brown III Brown enjoyed success during his teams championship season last year, but with the loss of five seniors, including the nations number one overall recruit Michael Porter Jr., he stands to inherit a larger role this season. His main role last season was knocking down open shots and guarding the opposing teams best player. Freddy can defend at multirole positions and is an elite athlete in his own right. He takes pride on defense and doesn’t take plays off.
Class of 2018 Capital combo guard Luke Layton has a plan for himself, and he’s being proactive to put the wheels in motion. The 6-foot-1 rising senior knows what career path he wants to take after college, and he knows where he wants to be in order to make that a reality. He’s shaping his recruitment to make that happen. And it’s D3s and NAIAs in California that are his target.
Class of 2019 6’5 guard Raquan of Seattle Rotary EYBL has shown that you can be effective and standout even coming off the bench. Raquan stock has been rising this summer as he looks to land some offers. Raquan continues to show an ability to slash and make plays around the basket. His length allows him to do a number of different things offensively. Raquan has worked on his jumper. His mid-range pull-up game looked great and he stepped in and knocked down the long ball with consistency as well. Raquan’s footwork and passing coming off ball screens was also something that looked strong. He got to the basket when he wanted too while showing creativity with his finishes. Strong defender known for his slashing ability on the offensive end of the floor.
Class of 2018 Lake Washington’s sharp shooter Dalton Liesse is preparing for a strong senior season. Liesse has a really nice feel for the game, always making the right decisions with the ball. He has a high basketball IQ and its well known for his defense first, smooth jump shot and deep range. Surprisingly Liesse isnt playing his last AAU season. He decided to focus on his development instead. He is a tough tenacious defender that can guard you 94 feet. He has good foot work which enables him to keep quicker guards in front of him.