Mondragon did a lot of his work by simply understanding where he needed to be. While everyone else was looking to just score and shoot the ball, he was scoring in quiet ways and stacking together solid plays. He ran the floor, used his size to carve out space and consistently put a body on someone when shots went up. That positioning led to rebounds and a couple of easy finishes when teammates found him around the basket. Mondragon also flashed some touch in the mid-range. He didn’t need anything designed for him to make plays, and was getting overlooked but if you paid attention, he had just as solid a day. His effort was high and he showed he belongs. 

Mondragon is a big man that we saw for the first time, who continued to make big plays on opening night, and it wasn’t even that he was having to work too hard. His IQ took over as he was continuously at the right spot, and that got him easy baskets. He had a couple of tough finishes on the block through contact, he grabbed rebounds, and went right up and had good feel around the rim. Defensively, he kept popping out as he defended without fouling, grabbed rebounds, and started the break. Solid Day 1 for him. 

Mondragon continues to build momentum this summer with a game that brings energy and production every time out. His shooting range immediately stands out, as he consistently gets to his spots and knocks down shots with confidence. Defenders have to respect his jumper, which opens the door for him to attack hard off the dribble and get downhill with purpose. He plays aggressive and doesn’t shy away from contact when driving to the basket. On the defensive end his activity level keeps him involved all game long, disrupting plays and competing on every possession. Mondragon’s combination of scoring ability, pace and defensive effort is making him a player that needs noticing throughout summer ball season