Mentor 76 @ Medina 65 Recap

30 points from Luke Chicone led Mentor to a key conference win over Medina.

Michael Roth January 9, 2021 @ 10:34 AM

In a battle between two of the top public schools in NEO, Mentor knocked off Medina on the road in a key GCC contest. After playing three classics last season, this one had less fireworks than any of the battles these programs had last season. The first quarter was insane as the two teams combined for 44 points in the first eight minutes. The defenses started to force more turnovers as Medina had a ton of unforced turnovers that prevented them from ever going on a run to threaten to take the lead. Mentor didn’t let their lack of size hurt them on the glass and protected the rim well by making it difficult for Medina to get the ball into the paint. With this strong of a defensive effort, it looks like Mentor will be one of the top teams in NEO this season. Here were the top performers from the game. [player_tooltip player_id="805148" first="Luke" last="Chicone"] 5’9 PG Mentor 2021: Chicone was showing off his range with some DEEP pull-up 3-pointers. At 5’9 he’s small in size but makes up for it with his aggressiveness on both ends. Chicone ended with 30 points, but should’ve had more as he missed a couple easy layups he probably wishes he could get back. On the defensive end, Chicone applies ball pressure to try and make up for his lack of height and physicality. Chicone is a winner and a guy I’d take on my team any day of the week. [player_tooltip player_id="805141" first="Jonah" last="Waag"] 6’2 SG Mentor 2021: Waag might not be the leading scorer very often for the Cardinals this year, but his impact is easy to see beyond the box score. Waag is an elite defensive guard and can defend multiple positions at a high level. Waag also is excellent passer as he really sees the floor well when attacking the basket. The biggest question on Waag is if he will shoot the ball. He really struggled from the outside this game and this skill will probably make or break him as a college player. Ian Kipp, 6’4 PF Mentor 2021: Kipp is a division I football prospect at quarterback, but returned to the hardwood for his senior season and his height and physicality will be key for the Cardinals this season. I’ll keep it short because he’s not a basketball prospect, but Kipp’s floor spacing and strength are a huge boost to a Cardinals squad lacking in height. [player_tooltip player_id="1106205" first="Brandon" last="Geschke"], 6’1 SG Medina 2021: Geschke shot the ball well from the outside in this one and defends well on the perimeter. There isn’t a ton of flash to his game, but D3 programs who need a shooter who can defend and come from a winning program should be giving Geschke a look.