So often during a travel ball event, my eyes and mind can divert to more pressing matters than whats happening on the court. 

• Are all of our score keepers here?
• How far behind are we going to be due to this overtime game?
• Do we have enough coaches books at the check in table?

For as much as I miss running our events, the time spent alone with only my thoughts and a laptop have brought me back to a tool that I used to utilize everyday. As we all look to navigate the new landscape ahead of us, the use of film has never been at it's highest point. 

With several players returning to a lineup that produced a 21-7 record this season, Monroe projects to have another great season this upcoming winter. After evaluating a few game tapes, one of the prospects that stood out was 2022 guard Domonik Henderson. He fits Monroe perfectly as a they employ a gritty, in your face system on both ends of the court. Henderson has embraced the defensive impact he can have on the game as he consistently utilizes his impressive instincts and wingspan. His high school coach, Michael Houffpauir is making the most out of his defense as well. 

"What I love the most about Henderson is his flexibility defensively. I’ve been able to use him on all parts of the press from full court to half.  He is also an excellent on ball defender as well as off the ball.  His IQ is off the charts but he still asks a lot of questions. In practice, he loves to begin on defense first in drills." 

Turn on the film and you'll find Henderson beating ball handlers to their spots, disrupting passing lanes and even challenging guards and forwards at the rim. It's an impressive, and pretty routine play to see Henderson use his impressive wingspan for a block or two every game. 

Monroe’s @domothegoat2 has been one of the better defensive guards I’ve seen on tape. Good for a combination of deflections, steals, and blocks every game. At 6’4 with a great wingspan, he projects well going forward as a disruptive point guard. Nice 2022 prospect. pic.twitter.com/HnzGTaaXi9

— Tai Young (@TaiYoungHoops) April 8, 2020

"From his freshman year to now, Dominik has grown to be more assertive. Before he would let the game come to him but now he knows he is relied on to make things happen for the team.  Domonik plays multiple positions for us. He runs the point and also plays the power forward position as well as the wing. I put a lot on him this year to learn to be a complete ball player and he did just that for us. He fills a stat sheet. And learning this as a freshman will make him be that more complete of a player by his senior year." 

Being 6'4 with a great defensive mentality has allowed Henderson to be utilized in a variety of ways. Looking further down the line, Henderson has the tools to be one of the states better defenders as he gains more experience at his position. Getting more comfortable in his role as both a scorer and a distributor are going to be key in his development as coach Houffpauir leans on him for more production. There is a lot to like about the baseline of his play as his intangibles make for a solid prospect going forward. Henderson's ace in the hole will always be his ability to create plays defensively and turn blocks and steals into offensive for his team.