Grind Region Finals: Saturday & Sunday Action

Time to check out some of the action Saturday and Sunday that led up to the championship games Sunday afternoon. These are some top performers in the 17U division with a couple of 15U and 16U kids sprinkled in.   Nate Parras SF | New Mexico D1 2024-1 | '24   The 6-foot-8 hooper is a highly skilled forward who's well-versed in attacking from the perimeter and high post. He dropped in a couple of early jumpers from outside, then started attacking his man with the dribble, using that big body to get to the rim and make some plays. He's a really composed player with the ball in his hands, and was also able to showcase some of his athleticism, rising up for a big block at the rim.   Lewis Palmer SG | B&B Academy 2024 Black | '24   His team had a pretty balanced attack and a handful of guys working from the wings and backcourt that could attack with the ball, but Palmer probably most fully epitomized the team's attack. He was really balanced scoring the ball, spotting up for some three-ball's in the half-court, using a quick first step to be his man and explode towards the rim. He always seemed ready to attack but never hurried.   Carson Keach PG | B&B Academy 2024 Black | '24   Keach provided a spark with his high-energy play, flying around in the half-court, busting his butt to get back in transition, and making smart reads to leave his man and go double the ball. For being a small guard, he's got some quick burst to the rim when he takes the ball inside and was a strong, instinctive player overall.   Trey'dez Green PF | LA Broncos 2024 | '24   The big lefty opened up his scoring Saturday against NoCo Elite with an easy three from the wing. He's got a fluid stroke from outside and was also able to create off the dribble, not just by getting an angle on defenders and using his strength to hold them off, but also showing some finesse with the dribble and footwork to step around defenders in traffic and finish with touch at the rim.   Broderick Brooke SG | LA Broncos 2024 | '24   Easy range is an understatement. The 6-foot-3 Louisana guard sunk NBA range 3-pointers on multiple occasions and without thinking too much about it. He shot right off the catch, off the dribble, and after pausing to size up his man after the catch.   Rico Hernandez CG | Arnold Elite 2024 National Rouche | '24   A shooter through and through, Hernandez used good movement off the ball to find space and rhythm for his shot, constantly changing speeds to utilize screens and reading the defender to hit the right action. He stayed disciplined on the weak side to keep spaced and provide outlets from action inside and has some quick feet getting set to shoot and let it go in a hurry.   [player_tooltip player_id='1863194' first='Pierce' last='Bierlink'] PG | BDH Elite 2026 | '26   He took off against Holbrook Hoops Hurricanes on Saturday morning, showing you have to pick him up early in the half-court or get punished with a quick-trigger three. While his scoring was impressive, it was the progress on the defensive end that caught my eye. Young players have a tendency to get overly aggressive in response to fakes but Bierlink stayed disciplined and forced a lot of tightly contested shots that came up short.   [player_tooltip player_id='1863253' first='Cody' last='Bennion'] SG | BDH Elite 2026 | '26   Bennion is an underrated big-play guy but he was able to find some confidence with the ball and use his athleticism to knife through defenders and create a little run by getting to the hoop. He's a strong defender with quick hands that hit a number of shots behind the arc on Saturday, but when he decides to attack the rim, he has the explosiveness to burst by and over defenders off one foot or two.   [player_tooltip player_id='1485662' first='Jacob' last='Hurskin'] SG | BDH Elite 2025 | '25   Hurskin is a key guy for his team that can play inside or out on offense and when he's going well like he was Saturday, he is one of the stronger finishers at the rim with good bounce and upper body strength to fly through defenders at the cup. Whether he's flying to the rim, playing patiently from the short-to-mid-range, or spotting up from three, Hurskin made a big impact on the offensive end with early buckets.   [player_tooltip player_id='1837705' first='Mande' last='Wanlemvo'] SF | BDH Elite 2024 | '24   Wanlemvo has been a big boost to this team, with both attitude and effort. He's traditionally a wing but has shown he can stifle bigger posts, switch onto smaller guards, and has the athleticism to be a big finisher and rim defender in transition. He has an infectious energy and chips in with a lot of strong hustle plays throughout the game.

Time to check out some of the action Saturday and Sunday that led up to the championship games Sunday afternoon. These are some top performers in the 17U division with a couple of 15U and 16U kids sprinkled in.