Ioppolo shot the ball at an efficient clip from downtown, making some deep 3-pointers. The freedom that Coach Krizancic allows his players to play with creates a free flowing offense and the top scorers on his team always play with a ton of confidence. Ioppolo was making shots from the top of the key, the wing, one dribble pull-ups, drives to the basket. However you wanted buckets served to you, Ioppolo was handing them out. The fact that Mentor’s star duo each scored 25 first half points is incredible and they are playing their best basketball of the season right now.

Despite the loss, Ioppolo had a monster week with 30 points in a win over Medina on Friday and I believe 35 points on Saturday against GlenOak. Improving as an athlete with a big-time slam dunk and showing impressive stamina to play a full court pressure defense and play almost every minute of game action. What Ioppolo is known for is his perimeter shooting ability and he can light it up from downtown when he has space. With the performances Ioppolo is having, he could be the next Findlay Oiler to make an immediate impact in the GMAC.

Another stretch-4 option featured in this article, Ioppolo has good size and floor spacing ability. A player I only got to catch once during the high school season, I’m excited to watch him with Wildcat Select this spring and summer on the 3SSB circuit. This is a crucial spring and summer for prospects in the 2024 class and Ioppolo has the opportunity to prove himself to Division I coaches and get the offers rolling.

Ioppolo is a prospect I enjoy watching in multiple settings because with Indy Heat he’s specifically a stretch four who takes a back seat to some talented creators and does what it takes to win. For Mentor, Ioppolo is a primary scoring option and you see a lot more of what he can do with the ball in his hands and create for himself. This distinction is important because in Ioppolo’s freshman year of college, his role will likely be similar to what he plays with Indy Heat. But for Ioppolo to reach his upside as an upperclassmen, it’s going to be the plays he makes for Mentor that could take him to the next level.