HARDWOOD: Kansas’ Stock Risers (guards)
The Hardwood Classic wrapped up action on Sunday with several standout performances taking place in the final stages of the tournament.
Here, Prep Hoops Kansas takes a look at several in-state players who stood out throughout the event.
Joe Berry, 6’1, G, 2021, Washburn Rural, KC Team Rush
Known for his outside shooting abilities and smart, heady play, Berry has grown physically over the past year and has taken his game to new heights with KC Team Rush this offseason. He has long arms that allows him to play bigger than his listed height, is a craft ball handler and brings a high basketball IQ to the court.
AJ Dickerson, 6’4, G, 2019, Junction City, SSA Elite Black
Dickerson continues to impress this offseason with a good combination of size and skill for a guard. He handles it well and can create off the bounce and uses his body well to absorb contact and finishing in traffic. He still needs to refine his outside shooting, but when he has it rolling Dickerson can pile up buckets.
D’Monte Gaw, 6’3, G, 2019, Schlagle, Team KC
Gaw played with a purpose and with terrific confidence throughout the weekend in Lawrence. He has always been tough off the dribble, but was in attack mode, getting to the basket and helping create offense for his team. He has good size at 6’3 and a feel for creating off the bounce, keeping defenders off balance and using a strong first step. Gaw has taken his game to another level by adding a consistent outside shot and he showed off good form and mechanics from behind the 3-point arc, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers on Thursday.
Tymer Jsckson, 6’0, G, 2019, Olathe North, Team KC
Jackson knows how to score and does so in a variety of ways. He isn’t very big but uses an array of floaters and runners to score a lot of points in the lane. He can also knock down 3-point shots, makes his free throws and provided instant offense for Team KC off the bench in the games we saw.
Jonathan Jackson, 6’5, G, 2020, Stillwell, Kan., MoKan Elite 16U
Jackson is a standout perimeter shooter who can consistently knock down outside shots, handle the ball and has good size and a strong frame. He has put together a strong offseason with MoKan Elite and is drawing interest from several college programs.