NHR State Tournament: Top Defenders

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Northstar Hoops State Tournament took over the metro area this past weekend with practically all the top players from all corners of the state on hand to compete. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Offense is easy to focus in on but defense is every bit as important. A good defender can draw just as much attention as a great shooter or passer and the lack of engagement on the defensive end can be a major turn off.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here were some of the top defenders from the weekend:</span></p> <p><em><strong>Zach Hutton, SE MN Lightning Schwartzoff 17U</strong></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hutton was really fun to watch over the weekend for SE MN Lightning as his defense was a huge key in two of the team’s wins Saturday. The Zumbrota-Mazeppa product is long, rangy, strong and explosive and he gives great effort. His ability to guard multiple positions was a huge weapon as he spent time defending point guards, big men and wings all mostly successfully. His offense is coming along though he’s a bit of a tweener on that end - but he’s so tough to take off the floor because he guards awfully well.</span></p> <p><em><strong>Isaac Soumis, Northern Lakers 17U</strong></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Soumis is quite a defensive presence for the Lakers, using his 6-foot-7 frame and explosive leaping ability to both all who enter his space. He’s not the thickest guy but he’s got a strong base and his length allows him to excel as both a man-to-man defender and help defender.</span></p> <p><em><strong>Erick Burgess, Mentality 17U</strong></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burgess was a force on the defensive end for Mentality MN Saturday, using his strength and explosiveness to harass opposing ball handlers constantly. The Cristo Rey Jesuit guard did a great job turning defense into offense, consistently pushing the tempo and applying pressure on the ball. He’s athletic and explosive off the ball too, which allows him to take some risks and go for steals because he’s able to recover if he’s unsuccessful. </span></p> <p><em><strong>Henry Shannon, MN Magic Hannah 16U</strong></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Shannon was one of the most impressive bigs I saw at the 16U level over the weekend and the first standout was how good of a rim-protector he is. The 6-foot-5 big man has an explosive first and second jump, meeting guys routinely at the rim for blocks. He’s a very good rebounder in and out of his area. While he’s a very good shot blocker, he also showed he can defend straight up on his man in the post and he’s got the quickness to comfortably guard outside the paint too.</span></p> <p><em><strong>Bruce Lockwood, Select Cave 17U</strong></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lockwood was one of the few bright spots in Select Cave’s loss to Matrix on Saturday. The Shakopee forward did a really nice job defending in the post against Jacob Jennison and Tate Machacek and showed he’s got the ability to just as effectively guard wings. Lockwood plays with a hot motor and while he isn’t a main scorer on this team or his high school team, he’s a integral piece to both because of his defense and willingness to do the dirty work.</span></p> <p><em><strong>Eli Green, WOTN Bertsch 16U</strong></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Green is a solid all-around player and his offense is certainly going to get him noticed too, but I was really impressed with his defense. The Farmington point guard is well-schooled off the ball and drew several charges in the team’s win over Select Robinson. He’s got quick hands and his quickness makes him a headache for opposing ball handlers.</span></p>