Buku SoCal Lacrosse Showcase: Defensemen Who Cover Ground

In this article, I feature eight defensemen who are capable of locking down their matchup thanks to their speed.    Chase Garcia was a head turner throughout the combine portion of the Buku SoCal Lacrosse Showcase. He tied for second in the 5-10-5, with an eye-popping time of 4.29. He placed second in the broad jump, leaping 9'0 feet. He was also a top performer in the 20/40 yard dash, running a 2.9 for his 20 split, and a 4.88 in the 40.   I was also able to catch a game of his during the tournament, where he was putting the clamps on his matchup and putting his awareness skills on display, picking off a pass. All in all, it was a productive weekend for the Westward Elite defensemen.     Jack Rundle made his mark during the combine portion of the Buku SoCal Lacrosse Showcase, posting notable numbers in the 5-10-5, 20, and 40-yard dash. In the 5-10-5, he ran a 4.75. He posted a 2.84 in the 20-yard split, along with a 40 time of 5.05. Although he wasn't at the very top of the leaderboard, his numbers are consistent. Considering his athleticism, he can certainly mark some of the quicker attackmen out there. Plus, he's a guy who can be an asset for his team when it's time to clear. For college coaches who may want to take a closer look, he is with Team 48 this summer.     [player_tooltip player_id='178521' first='Jonathan' last='Winston'] made his mark during the 5-10-5, posting a time of 4.59, which was good for a share of 4th out of everyone and second-best time among the defenders. He also put up respectable numbers in the 20/40, with times of three seconds and 5.1 seconds. Considering how he can cut on a dime and change directions, he has the foot speed to mark his man, plus he can help his teammates if he needs to slide. If you're a college coach looking to check him out, he's with Rockslide LC this summer.     [player_tooltip player_id='178523' first='Kingston' last='Diaz'] is an SSDM who uses his length and burst to keep his matchup in front of him. He posted a 7'5 broad jump, a 3.1 in the 20-yard dash, and a 5.1 in the 40-yard dash. While his testing numbers leave some room for improvement, he definitely has the stride length and wingspan to help make up for that.      [player_tooltip player_id='178514' first='Jack' last='Davis'] made noise throughout the SoCal Showcase, as he was a top performer in every assessment. He tied for 10th overall in the 5-10-5, running a 4.66. Then he had times of 2.85 and 4.89 in the 20 and 40. Beyond his ability to accelerate in the blink of an eye, he went 8'6 during the broad jump. All in all, the athleticism is clearly there, and he's the type of guy who really makes his matchup work to gain ground.     Sam Van Amberg is a West Coast Class of 2028 defender that college coaches may want to take a closer look at. He stands at around 6'2, and has a well-built frame. During the combine portion of the event, he performed particularly well in the broad jump, posting an 8'0 jump. He also had strong numbers for a rising sophomore in the 5-10-5, 20-yard split, and 40-yard dash. In the 5-10-5, he tied for 10th out of all the participants, running a 4.66. From there, he had times of 3.03 and 5.1 in the 20 + 40. In addition to his strong combine numbers, he played at a high level in the games I watched during tournament play. Getting physical when he needed to, and delivering checks with real force behind him. Van Amberg is also set to transfer to the Kiski School this fall, where he'll look to take his game and recruitment to the next level.       Andrew Voohrees was a top performer in the broad jump at the Buku SoCal Lacrosse Showcase. He went 8'3, good for 3rd amongst all of the defensemen in attendance. He also went 3.1 in the 20, and had a 40 time of 5.2. With his ability to accelerate, he can cut dodgers off, and he's an asset when it comes to winning loose ground balls. Voohrees is also only a 2028, and he'll become even more dangerous by staying in the weight room.     Asher Johnson is another Team 48 prospect who caught my attention during the combine portion of Buku SoCal Lacrosse Showcase. His best number came during the 5-10-5, which he ran in 4.62 seconds, giving him the 6th best time overall. He also put his speed on display in the 20 with a time of 3.01 seconds, then ran the 40 in 5.12. Look for him to make more noise in the coming months, as he has some real lateral quickness.

In this article, I feature eight defensemen who are capable of locking down their matchup thanks to their speed.