Hard Work Region Finals: Saturday AM Standouts

Credit: Sean Donohue | Echo Images

Grant Matheny

July 16, 2022 @ 12:32 PM

Prospect standouts from Saturday morning at the Hard Work Region Finals: Jyceri Birmingham -- PG -- Wisconsin Crusaders Select -- 17U Whenever Birmingham is on the court, good things just seem to happen. The point guard is a difference-maker on both ends of the court. On offense, he is a terrific passer and ball handler who can also knock down outside shots. I love how he is able to drill pull up jump shots in the midrange. On defense, Birmingham is also very scrappy and tough. [player_tooltip player_id="962206" first="Max" last="Shikenjanski"] -- PG -- Minnesota Fury -- 17U Shikenjanski is so much fun to watch. He is just an incredible overall player. On offense, the point guard is a versatile scorer who can get buckets from all three levels. He is a really good three-point shooter, great slasher, and effective mid-range shooter. Shikenjanski isn’t just a one-way player, though. He can really defend too. College coaches need to take a look at the PG before it is too late. [player_tooltip player_id="1289059" first="AC" last="Strok"] -- SF -- Wisconsin Academy -- 17U His team wasn’t able to walk away with the victory, but I still thought that Strok was able to raise his stock. The small forward is 6-foot-4 and has a very strong build. I like how Strok is able to use his physicality to find success on both ends of the court. He is able to use his size to finish over smaller defenders on offense. On the other end, he uses his strength to rebound well and dominate in the paint. [player_tooltip player_id="962208" first="Jace" last="Hernandez"] -- PF -- Minnesota Fury -- 17U If Minnesota Fury is going to make a deep run this weekend, Hernandez is going to be a big reason why. The power forward is a big-time two-way prospect who does all of the little things. He rebounds well, can protect the paint, sets solid screens, and is able to score well when the opportunity presents itself. Keep an eye on Hernandez the rest of this summer. [player_tooltip player_id="1022499" first="Bennett" last="Fried"] -- SF -- Coulee Country -- 17U Fried is going to develop into a really great player at the college level. In Saturday morning’s matchup against Wisconsin Crusaders, the small forward was tremendous. He showed off all of his skills. He can hit outside shots, handle the ball, block shots, and pass well. If I were a college coach, I would certainly take some time to recruit Fried. Kodi Miller -- PG -- Coulee Country -- 17U Miller was at his best on Saturday morning. The point guard was dynamite on the offensive end of the court. As a scorer, Miller was able to knock down some really deep threes and finish difficult layups at the rim. The point guard was playing with a ton of confidence and swagger. I thought that Miller also did a good job running his squad’s offense.