HoopSource Summer Sizzle – Saturday Morning Standouts (17U)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The month of July is wrapping up and this past weekend, the Hoopsource Summer Sizzle took place at multiple locations around the Portland Metro area. We had the opportunity to drop by and catch some games at Clackamas Community College on Saturday morning, both from the 17U and 15U divisions. Here's a look at some of the top 17U performers that we saw:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1197476' first='Kaden' last='Groenig'], GRIT (2024 Southridge) </strong>- "Baller" is an easy one word to describe Groenig's play on Saturday morning - he simply made basketball plays. In two wins for GRIT, the rising senior canned jumpers, created off the dribble, found open teammates, and made defensive plays - in their second game, he took a critical charge in the game's ending moments to secure the win. We caught up with Groenig and will have an update posted soon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1457595' first='Grant' last='Olsen'], Oregon Prospects (2024 Hermiston)</strong> - Olson scored early and often in an opening-game win for Oregon Prospects. He converted near the hoop at a high percentage, effectively using his length and ability to utilize the glass. He got loose in transition a number of times and threw down a one-handed slam that was a crowd pleaser. We caught up with Olsen and will have an update posted soon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Asher Vredenberg, GRIT (2024 Roseburg) </strong>- Vredenberg - who recently earned a roster spot offer from Pacific (Ore.) - did a good job playing both on and off the basketball, aggressively attacking the basket, and drawing fouls plenty of contact in the process. The rising senior showed great motor on the defensive end as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1276625' first='Jalen' last='Atkins'], Bruins (2025 Barlow) </strong>- Playing with what was essentially his high school team, Atkins did what he usually does for Barlow - score the basketball. He was sharp with his perimeter jumper but also used his improved upper body strength to drive and get the hoop and harm. The rising junior was active in looking for his teammates and had some nice-looking assists as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1368245' first='Mason' last='Bierbrauer'], Bruins (2025 Barlow)</strong> - It's become clear that Bierbrauer is one of the more gifted players in the Class of 2025 with his athleticism. He finished plays above the rim on a number of occasions but was also effective with his pull-up jumper. We caught up with Bierbrauer and will have an update posted soon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1611707' first='Blake' last='Hills'], Bruins (2025 Barlow)</strong> - With Atkins, Bierbrauer, and [player_tooltip player_id='1387877' first='Brayden' last='Barron'] (who was not present), Barlow will need key role players and Hills appears ready to be a glue guy "plus". The rising junior combo guard found his spots on the court for the catch-and-shoot and was dead eye with his three-point shot. Hills also took good care of the basketball and played solid defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1587916' first='Colt' last='Ness'], Oregon Prospects (2025 Tigard)</strong> - Normally Ness plays with ONE but joined the Prospects for the weekend and he fit right in. The rising junior was shifty with the basketball as always, creating space to get off his accurate pull-up jumper or finding open teammates while also spotting up for a number of threes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->