Montgomery’s all-time leading scorer and the catalyst for the Cougars’ statewide success over the past two seasons, Lin had the team on his back for much of the afternoon in a valiant 20-point effort to close out his high school career. Scoring exactly half his team’s points, the future Penn Quaker was the only Cougar who could consistently generate clean looks against an airtight Plainfield zone. Lin was able to slice through the zone and attack the undersized Cardinal frontcourt at the rim, but really impressed with his ability to create space with his handle and knock down pullups or stepbacks both from midrange and from distance. He knocked down four 3’s on the afternoon and captured the respect of the Plainfield-heavy crowd in the process, continuing to track as a potential foundational piece for Penn moving forward.

A returning all-state performer with his college recruitment being joined recently by the school scoring record as both being in the rearview, Lin has the benefit of playing with nothing to prove while focusing solely on team success in a quest for a state title to cap his stellar career. The future Penn Quaker played like a savvy veteran on Wednesday, coming out aggressive at the very start of the game before picking his spots and letting things come to him in a smooth 24-point effort. Known largely for his perimeter shooting, Lin impressed more so with his shiftiness off the dribble in order to attack gaps and make plays from the middle of the lane, finishing effectively and distributing well to both shooters and cutters. There aren’t many more potent offensive threats in the state, which Lin manages to show at this point on an almost nightly basis.

Lin has been on a tear to start the season while leading a talented but young rotation alongside him, and the Penn commit certainly did his part on Tuesday while pouring in 29 points on the night. One of the more dynamic shooters in the region, Lin shook loose for 5 3s, using his shifty handle and polished footwork to consistently create space along the perimeter. He plays with an unbridled confidence that allows him to always be a shot or two away from a momentum-shifting scoring binge. He still has to learn the proper times to really apply pressure as opposed to letting things come to him, but Lin should be an impactful presence early on in the Ivy League with a sizable upside to continue tapping into.

As Montgomery’s lead guard and Often times tasked with creating a majority of their offensive production, Ethan Lin Ethan Lin 6'4" | PG Montgomery | 2026 State NJ shined not only as a scorer, creating for himself but also as a facilitator and creating clean scoring chances for his teammates, highlighting his high impact as an effective overall playmaker. Lin attacked driving lanes with creative change of direction dribbles off the bounce and finish from different angles around the basket all while also knocking down open outside shots from the perimeter.

Operating as Montgomery’s lead guard and responsible for a lot of their offensive production both as a scorer and facilitator, Ethan Lin Ethan Lin 6'4" | PG Montgomery | 2026 State NJ shined in the ways he found to be an overall playmaker. Highlighted by his ability to create off the bounce and initiate contact, Lin got to the free throw line routinely— where a large portion of his scoring came from. As dangerous a shotmaker as anybody in the entire state and capable of burying open looks at any given moment, Lin countered the rim pressure he generated by converting on a pair of open looks from three point range— exhibiting his ability to be a lethal spot up shooter off the ball and a dynamic shot maker off the bounce. Lin allowed the different defensive coverages he saw to alleviate some of that pressure off himself and create clean scoring chances for his teammates over the course of Saturday’s action.

An overall confident scorer off the bounce, with lethal outside ability, Ethan Lin Ethan Lin 6'4" | PG Montgomery | 2026 State NJ shined not only in the ways he was able to demonstrate his diverse and dangerous shot making prowess but also in his ability to be a reliable offensive orchestrator. Possessing a fluid and compact release with smooth and consistent footwork, Lin proved to be just as dangerous of a spot up shooter as he is a shooter that can create a little bit of separation and knock down outside shots off the bounce. Seeing a lot of time on the ball in Montgomery’s offense, Lin also stood out in his effectiveness as a primary ball handler, not only initiating offense but also attacking gaps off the bounce to collapse the defense and create drive and kick three opportunities for his teammates.

Lin started the game out slow as Montgomery fell behind close to 20 points in the first half against St. Mary’s, but a true test of a great player is how they battle through adversity. Despite coming up just short of a thrilling comeback win, the Penn commit aced that test with his second half performance to drag his team back into the game. One of the most dangerous shotmakers in the state, Lin shot his way into a rhythm, connecting on a handful of 3s after intermission while displaying his textbook footwork flowing into jumpers off the dribble or on the move. A natural scorer, he also showed his evolving lead guard game as he was able to punish wild closeouts to get into the lane and throw slick passes out to shooters. Despite the slow start, Lin made sure to leave little doubt as to why he had a variety of D1 suitors before pledging to the Quakers.

A confident and smooth shot maker, Ethan Lin Ethan Lin 6'4" | PG Montgomery | 2026 State NJ displayed his versatility as a perimeter shot maker throughout the course of Saturday’s action. Comfortable in getting to his spots and poised with the ball in his hands, Lin demonstrated his ability to knock down shots off the bounce from different spots on the floor alongside his ability to be a threat off the catch from three point range. Lin also showed his capabilities as a PnR decision maker, mixing in a couple crafty finishes at the rim.

A confident shot maker from the perimeter, Ethan Lin Ethan Lin 6'4" | PG Montgomery | 2026 State NJ impressed in his ability to be a lethal and versatile shot maker during Friday afternoon’s acton. Possessing a compact release with fluid footwork, Lin displayed his ability to shoot it well from three point territory in a variety of different ways— off the catch, coming off screens, creating separation off the dribble, and with range too. Lin also moved well without the ball, constantly looking to relocate to open space. Lin also attacked the basket on a few dribble drives finishing with craftiness around the basket.

Playing in a more off the ball role with this Shoreshots UAA team, Ethan Lin Ethan Lin 6'4" | PG Montgomery | 2026 State NJ flashed moments of his shot making ability—particularly off the catch from the perimeter as well as getting to his mid range off one or two dribbles when defenses closed out on him. Lin did pick up an offer from Old Dominion over the weekend. Shooting a higher percentage from the field will however be imperative for Lin heading into session two in May.