Open Gym/Workout Report: Mountainside Mavericks

<p>On Wednesday night, we dropped by Mountainside to catch the end of their open gym workout. Thanks to some incoming transfers and up-and-coming young players, head coach Dustin Hewitt has a squad that may be one of the deepest in the state when it comes to guys who can be in the rotation. Here's a look at some of the top performers that evening:</p> <p><strong>Andrew Ingalls (2020)</strong> - Ingalls was extremely tough to handle inside. The 6-foot-7 senior showed off some good footwork and finished strong at the hoop, something he did better at than some other settings we've seen him in. He dominated the glass on both ends, ran the floor well, and in general simply played hard. There's no question he'll be one of the top big men in the Metro League this season.</p> <p><strong>Nzube Mekkam (2020)</strong> - Mekkam is coming off a wrist injury this summer but he appears fully healed. The 6-foot-1 guard looks as if he's added some strength to his young body as well and played both on and off the basketball in open gym. He seemed content with shooting threes on offense, but used his athleticism to grab some boards and wreak some havoc on defense.</p> <p><strong>Connor McClean (2020)</strong> - McClean has good size at 6-foot-5 and is a good athlete as well. In this open gym, he was very aggressive in taking the ball to the basket, using that aforementioned athleticism to finish near the rim, often absorbing contact. He showed a good motor and some decent form on his jumper.</p> <p><strong>Grayson Rowell (2020)</strong> - Rowell is a specialist. The 6-foot-1 senior shoots the three and does it pretty well. He looked to spot up on every opportunity whether in the half-court or in transition and knocked down open treys when given time to get the shot off.</p> <p><strong>Nate Mouzong (2021)</strong> - The very first thing we noticed about Mouzong is that he's clearly an athlete. The 6-foot junior has a sculpted body and has great quickness with the basketball. He handles the ball extremely well and is often looking to drive and dish rather than necessarily score the ball himself. His athleticism allows him to be an effective defender as well.</p> <p><strong>Brett Linhart (2021)</strong> - Linhart is quickly becoming one of our favorite guys to watch simply because the flair he plays with. The 5-foot-10 point guard handed the ball turnover-free, looking to attack when given the opportunity, and as he's done the last few times we've watched him, delivered a highlight reel play - on one possession he made a penetrating move, stopped on a dime, and flipped a no-look behind the back pass to a teammate on the baseline for an open jumper.</p> <p><strong>Christian Rowell (2022)</strong> - We got our first real look at Rowell in fall league and continue to be impressed with the potential of the 6-foot-5 sophomore. The lefty has the dribble pull-up in the elbow down to a science already and was able to hit a couple of catch-and-shoot jumpers as well. His ability to adjust to the physicality of the game should come with more experience and maturity.</p>