#PHGrindRegionClassic: Friday night favorites

<table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="967379" first="Parker" last="Friedrichsen"] </b>| Tulsa Hawks</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f2f0f0;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;">6’4” SG</td> <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;">Bixby ’23</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>It’s hardly a surprise anymore when Friedrichsen bursts for a high-scoring early performance; in fact, he’s made somewhat of a habit of it.</p> <p>The junior scored 13 of Tulsa Hawks’ first 17 points Friday night in a last-minute loss against KC spurs. He finished the night with 31 points, including six triples. In that match, he displayed, of course, his shooting talents, but also a more obscure facet of his game: his speed.</p> <p>Especially out of the corner, Friedrichsen gets out of a stationary position swiftly, often leaving defenders on their heels. With his height, it’s almost effortless against most competition for him to contend at the rim and at least draw a foul.</p> <p>His attack-mindedness is also evolving across the summer, before the eyes of his coaches, teammates and even dull media bums like me. Friedrichsen, though he never lacked the skill, was not always as decisive as he was Friday night and a few select standout games before that one. Lately, he has boosted his efficiency by choosing the right shot under the given circumstances, matching his developed scoring moves with his iQ.</p> <p>Friday, especially, he shot, attacked, and pulled up from mid-range each with consistency, routinely selecting and converting the highest-quality shot in the given scenario.</p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="958416" first="Caylen" last="Goff-Brown"] </b>| Oklahoma Chaos</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f2f0f0; height: 21px;"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 50%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">5’11” PG</td> <td style="width: 50%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Tulsa Central ’22</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>In his debut performance with Oklahoma Chaos, Goff-Brown was even better than expected in limited minutes, bringing his polished release to the match and helping Chaos out of a double-digit hole close to the halfway point. He finished with 18 points.</p> <p>The slender scoring guard danced around defenders and converted on high-pressure shots from long range, frequently, but also displayed a unique propensity to get to the free-throw line. Playing at a quick pace and attacking the rim relentlessly, Goff-Brown did a great job of drawing fouls, especially in transition.</p> <p>Though Chaos fell just short in the match, it’s clear that Goff-Brown provides this team with a potent weapon.</p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1049323" first="Aaron" last="Johnson"]</b> | Tulsa Hawks</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f2f0f0;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;">6’2” CG</td> <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;">Broken Arrow ’22</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Johnson has been a consistent force for the Tulsa Hawks this summer, but he had an exceptional game Friday night, even for his standards, against the KC Spurs.</p> <p>The guard notched 15 points in an all-around display of his hustle, skill and fit. A player who truly understands his role, Johnson is strikingly conservative with the ball, but he maintains his threat nonetheless by taking well-timed, quality and high-percentage shots — most importantly, the shots that are best for <i>him.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></p> <p>Johnson’s best trait may be his ability to finish under pressure with either hand, which he exploited on numerous occasions Friday night.</p>