Another Melo forward who ended in a strong manner was Condon. I wrote about his offensive versatility as a shot maker in our recent viewing against New World and this weekend further confirmed his progression as a true threat from deep. His percentage on the EYBL site doesn’t indicate the accuracy because their last game against Final hasn’t been submitted into the totals, but Condon’s shooting in that game was nothing short of impressive. Catching and getting into his shot on the move whether it was quick cuts to the corner or stop-and-pops in transition, he’s found the ability to stay in a flow once he sees one fall and can answer it with another on the ensuing possession.

He had his usual, physical presence in the paint alongside Taylor and as I assumed, they made things difficult on opposing frontcourts having to guard the entire floor rather than sag off in the paint to hunt blocks.

Condon is really becoming an offensive hub and although he and Taylor don’t offer the elite size that they’ll face in EYBL play, there won’t be many 6’10”-7’0″ bigs that can chase them around the floor. Condon has now turned himself into not just a guy that you need to respect from three, but a guy that you need to meet on the catch. In transition when a rim run wasn’t available, Condon faded to corners and knocked down three’s off the catch. He playing out of pick-and-pops and if he wasn’t letting it fly, he’d act as an offensive hub for high-lows to Taylor, quickly swinging to the opposite wing and head hunting a defender to screen or putting it on the deck and using his bullish frame to get where he wanted. Hardhat style forward who has adopted plenty of translatable skills that you need as a toolsy stretch forward.

-Condon was an inside-out monster that took some serious strides as a leader, communicator, and defender for the Quakers this season as his team dealt with a slew of different injuries to key pieces. Condon proved himself as a great pick n pop wing, improved his lateral movement skills and foot speed to defend at a higher level in side ball screen actions, and built his sprinting endurance to run at a breakneck pace throughout expanded minutes for the Quakers to become a dynamic force at both ends for his team. It will be interesting to track his development this summer as he continues to grow physically to match his emotional maturity as a dependable double-double performer that continues to expand his skillset with a work ethic and passion for the game that continues to prove to be elite.

Condon was named to the All-MET team from the DC Coaches with a large majority of the players selected alongside him being seniors committed to high major programs. Condon had an excellent season for Sidwell Friends School, leading them to their fifth straight 20+ win season and fifth straight conference title. Ian put up impressive numbers on a nightly basis, scoring 19 points, grabbing eight rebounds and generating three and a half defensive stocks (steals + blocks) a contest while shooting 55/42/82 splits from the floor. Holding offers to schools like Villanova, Virginia Tech, UCF and most recently Cal, Condon has plenty of options going into his 17 U summer.

Condon’s approach to the game is hard to not fall in love with. A blue-collar forward who continues to expand his skillset at a steady rate, he is the type of player that fuels winning. Although Sidwell would come up short against LuHi (NY) in their contest Saturday afternoon, it wasn’t due to a lack of effort or production from the junior leader. He’s a legitimate floor-spacing threat with his quick, compact mechanics off the catch from three. Last season a lot of his shots from outside came from the corners, but now he’s a threat from the wing or at the top of the key in pick-and-pops or as a trailer in transition. He can always rely on his bullish frame to expose a mismatch in the post, but his ability to beat guys off the bounce with regularity now poses a slew of other worries for opposing staffs to prepare for. Defensively, he’s as strong as they come both inside and out. He can guard in space on switches, battle with bigger fours and fives while maintaining position and is no stranger in giving up his body on a charge after a crisp rotation. Condon paced Sidwell with 20 points.

There are times when the game just looks incredibly easy for Ian his size and physicality is game changing. It feels like he can get any shot he wants at basically any time he wants. Ian is a quality creator with solid vision and the ability to fill it up as a scorer in a variety of ways. Whether basic, complex, or improvised, there aren’t many shots defenses should want to give him. Ian shoots the ball exceptionally well from the perimeter, displaying deep range and a smooth release to get his shot off against virtually anyone. However, he mixes in a healthy array of downhill drives and pull-ups off the bounce. Add in his scrappy defense and activity on the glass, and it’s easy to see why Condon is gaining traction with high-level programs. Ian scored 35 points against the talented and deep Friendship Tech Prep team.

Ian was a man amongst boys in the closing IAC/MAC Challenge game. Helped Sidwell in a major win over a top-ranked Maryland opponent, defending IAC Champion Bullis School. He was impactful in multiple areas on the floor. Set back a couple shots and consistently defended with discipline and straight arms. Grabbed 3 steals on the night to go along with his team-leading 10 rebounds and 18 points. Really started to take the game over as the second half began and he was getting more looks. You could see the change in intensity and aggression as he was getting into scoring position consistently. Made some nice post baskets and drilled the short midrange jumpers with consistency. Liked the way Ian let the game come to him, didn’t rush shots to try to find his offensive flow even when the team needed a score. Led the team and helped them stay poised even when trailing early on. Ian controlled Sidwell’s destiny in this matchup, owning a heavy role in the momentum swinging in their favor.

Condon has generated some of the most buzz within conversations with college programs this season of this group. His productivity, efficiency and lunch pale approach as four-man who exudes winning is something that programs at the next level will covet. His individual productivity along with his improved efficiency from beyond that arc to provide floor-spacing are two of the main reasons he received a boost in this update. The Quakers had a few hiccups in the beginning of the season, but have since showed signs of turning a corner as they’ve won 5-straight to sit with a 6-4 record heading into a big matchup against Bullis this weekend.

Following up a breakout sophomore year and a standout grassroots season, Condon looks to have taken another jump this winter while establishing himself as one of the more prolific scoring forwards in the region, if not the country. His season was highlighted by a pair of statement performances at the Jordan Holiday Classic, where he erupted for 25+ points in two wins with Mississippi State-bound wing Jalyn Collingwood sidelined by the flu. Condon is as reliable a shooter as you’ll find with his feet set and has continued to develop a dangerous dribble-drive game to attack closeouts and put pressure on the rim. As his body continues to develop, he’s become more fluid in the open floor and explosive as a finisher. He may not pass the initial eye test, but Condon’s skillset and production continue to look like a potential fit at the high-major level in due time.

28p 6r 2s 2b 11/14 FG 4/5 3P 2/3 FT vs Hudson Catholic

-Pretty dominant inside-out performance for Condon, who has been on an absolute heater to start the season for the Quakers as they have dealt with some injury issues to key rotation pieces. Love how he has stepped up as a vocal leader for this team at both ends of the floor, but specifically at the defensive end of the floor as a leader on the back line. Condon started things off with an escape dribble to finish with his left underneath the rim, volleyball-spiked a layup attempt at the other end of the floor, hit several C+S threes from the wing, and finished above the rim on runouts in transitions. The improvements to his foot speed and cardio endurance are paying early dividends for the Quakers.