Recruiting Report: Joich Gong (2020)
Third ranked Mankato East is 13-1 on the season and key reason for that is the rapid maturation of Joich Gong as a guard in the program. “Joich brings great leadership,” Mankato East Head Coach Joe Madson said. “A great…
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Continue ReadingThird ranked Mankato East is 13-1 on the season and key reason for that is the rapid maturation of Joich Gong as a guard in the program.
“Joich brings great leadership,” Mankato East Head Coach Joe Madson said. “A great competitor on both ends of the floor, that’s what I love about him. There has been nights where Joich hasn’t scored a ton and he’s been okay with that. He knows on those nights he just needs to distribute.”
Gong is scoring 17.1 points per game and few, if any of the teams on the Mankato East have had an opposing guard that’s been able to consistently keep Gong in front of them. Gong put 20 points on the board against the Rockets and it was a great example of how Joich can lead with his point production.
“Tonight we needed him to look for his open shot and he did. He hit his open shots,” Madson said. “There are times when I have to tell him ‘you can’t let a miss bother you’. It bothers him when he misses but on many nights like tonight he didn’t miss much. He was really aggressive and when he is it’s good for our team.”
All of the East Cougars are aware of the Big Nine title drought. Forty years. Joich Gong made sure to point that out on the banner in the gym when asked about the season goals.
“Everything this year starts out on defense,” Joich told Prep Hoops. “Coach wants us playing good defense and that helps us operate our offense because it gets us going really well.
“Our goal is a section championship and as you can see (pointing to the banners) Big Nine championships ebcaus we don’t have that mnay of them here. We have to keep working hard, we can do it, make a run. It’s all about defense and that becoming offense. Just making things work.”
Joich is happy with the improvements he’s made specifically taking a role as a verbal figure.
“I’m more of a leader this year,” Joich said. “I look to score more as I have to be more aggressive. Last year I was kind of looking to get my teammates more involved but now I think I am more of a leader. I have to get my shots too.
“Each day I work to get better. I love to play against the best players in Minnesota, work hard every day at practice and in the weight room.”
Minnesota State-Mankato was at the game watching Joich and his teammates. Joich also visited Winona State for a game recently.
“Winona State is a great environment, a great environment,” Gong explained. “I get along with the coaching staff well there. The team looked really nice. I was at the gym and when I was on campus it looked really cool.
“I have also talked to Bemidji State in the summer a little, St. Cloud State has reached out to me, and I got a couple letters from schools.”