Hard Work Region Finals - Standout Sleeper Prospects

The Hard Work Region Finals brought together talented players from across the Midwest to compete in the Twin Cities. I was in the building all weekend to watch the action, and these are seven sleeper prospects from Minnesota and Wisconsin who stood out! [player_tooltip player_id="1180206" first="Payton" last="Thomsen"] (6’2 2022 G, MSP Elite)- Payton put together one of the top scoring performances of the weekend, dropping 29 points in a win for MSP Elite on Saturday morning. The 6’2 guard has a strong frame and has some explosiveness to him, allowing him to attack the basket through traffic and also compete on the offensive glass to pick up second chance points. I liked the competitiveness he showed to fight with bigs over rebounds, and that effort often helped to extend possessions for his team. When it came to putting points on the board he showed that he’s a threat from beyond the arc, but can also step in and knock down mid-range shots off the dribble. Has the look of a breakout player this winter at Spring Lake Park. Dylan Hibicke (6’6 2022 F, ABC Young Lions)- I didn’t know about Dylan coming into this event, but he left an impression that will have me remembering his name moving forward. At 6’6 he immediately stood out as his team’s tallest player, but he’s not someone they just stick in the post because of his height. Dylan was one of the best shooters on the floor, and caught the opposing defense off guard when they gave him too much space. Late in the first half Dylan turned a close game into a comfortable lead for his team by knocking down multiple threes in quick succession. At 6’6 he’s comfortable curling off screens and getting his feet squared up to fire off a shot. Also works hard to defend in the paint and rebound in his area. Could play a solid role for Sussex Hamilton this winter. [player_tooltip player_id="958742" first="Terrence" last="Brown"] (5’11 2022 PG, Rip City)- If you’ve been to any AAU tournament in Minnesota in the past few years, you’ve probably seen Terrence there. Whether he’s playing, training, or just watching, Terrence always seems to be in a gym. That work ethic has paid off as he’s been terrorizing defenders this summer with his shifty handle and ability to get into the paint. He has an endless bag of tricks when handling the ball, and a shifty crossover that would make Allen Iverson proud. He creates space effortlessly and despite being one of the smaller players on the floor he knows how to finish over size. After averaging 6.2 assists per game as a junior, he’s proving he can also score it at a high level this summer. [player_tooltip player_id="958725" first="Ty" last="Creger"] (6’ 2022 PG, Minnesota Select Mantey)- Tyrel Creger was another under-the-radar point guard who impressed on Saturday. Creger showed some nice change of pace with the ball in his hands, and was dangerous coming off screens because he could get his man on his hip and then separate to get into space. Once in a pocket in the defense, he showed he can elevate to knock down shots from mid-range consistently. There was a quiet confidence to his game as he seemed to know every shot that he put up was going in. Ty played with a lot of poise while remaining unfazed by high pressure defense, and also didn’t force much offensively. [player_tooltip player_id="1134927" first="Jordan" last="Hibner"] (6’3 2022 SG, Wisconsin Academy)- Jordan has the look of a player that can come in and put together a strong career for a good Division 3 program. He stands about 6’3-6’4 and is strong enough to out-muscle a lot of players at the high school level. Because of that he rebounds the ball extremely well for a guard/wing prospect. As one of his team’s biggest players he had to compete in the post against size, but also showed he has the athleticism to guard on the perimeter. Where he makes his money is from beyond the arc as Jordan can shoot it with the best of them, knocking down a handful of threes against ABC Young Lions. Jordan complimented his shooting range with some nice passes to find cutting teammates and lead them towards the basket. [player_tooltip player_id="958845" first="Conner" last="Barney"] (6’3 2022 SF, Starks Elite)- It’s not every day you find a 6’3 player that can compete in the post against 6’6+ players, but that’s just how tough Conner is. He’s extremely physical and has no problem competing with size for rebounds or sprawling out on the floor for loose balls. I think that toughness and energy he brings to the floor is contagious and helps to spark his team on both ends of the floor. Barney put up an extremely efficient 22 points against a talented Gain Elite team, mixing in strong finishes around the rim, a few nice takes off the bounce that showed he can handle the ball well, and a confident looking make from beyond the arc. Just on toughness alone you get the feeling that Conner can compete at the next level, but he also brings some explosiveness and versatility on both ends of the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="1139642" first="Vincent" last="Vandervest"] (6’3 2023 W, Team 1848)- When your team is confident enough to throw you a backdoor alley-oop on the first play of the game, you know you’re in the top percent of high school athletes. [player_tooltip player_id="1139642" first="Vincent" last="Vandervest"] is just that explosive as he rose up and slammed home a two hand dunk to start off the morning against Minnesota Heat. He then went on to pick the opposing defense apart with his off-ball movement, as he cuts so hard and just finds ways to get open around the rim. That explosiveness and body control make him a tough finisher around the rim, and he also doubled as a help-side shot blocker on the defensive end, on one occasion spiking the ball into the floor like a volleyball player. A player with a nice ceiling on the wing whose stock is only beginning to rise.