Grant Mengel '18 Recruiting Profile

My name is Grant Mengel and I am 6' 4" and 185 pounds. I am currently attending Guilderland High School and will be a starter on the Varsity basketball team as a senior. Last year I was the 6th man on the team but didn't play a ton because our coach like to give the seniors the majority of the minutes.  By the end of the season I was playing a lot more and led the team in scoring in our final few games. I am playing somewhat out of position. They have me as a four or a five but I am more of a natural three position. But since it helps the team, I do what has to be done.  Overall I am a very hard working person in school and in basketball. When I set my mind to doing something nothing will stop me until I reach that goal. I have played various other sports in the past such as baseball and football. As a freshman I ended up playing JV  tennis for our school which helped with my foot work and hand-eye coordination. But basketball always has been and will be the sport that I am most passionate about. I have always loved the game ever since I first got a ball in my hand in kindergarten. I will never get tired of going to practice even if it's at 7 AM and I will be the first person in the gym and the last one out. Basketball has taught me many things that work off the court as well such as  goal setting, commitment, and how to deal with adversity. I set a goal to play Division 1 basketball all the way back in third grade and I have been working for it ever since then. I hope to achieve this goal because it will give me a great feeling of accomplishment and after all these years of hard work it will finally pay off.

I am a "team first" player and will make the extra pass when needed. I am very unselfish and I am coachable. If the coach needs me to do something I'm not used to I will still do it and put my best effort in. Another thing about me is that my "Basketball IQ" is very high, when I get the ball I know what to do with it or without the ball I know where to go. I have been told I am like a coach on the court because I am always directing everyone and setting plays. I have been the captain of my school team for the past 2 years and it was by a unanimous decision. On the court I will always be yelling whether it's talking on defense or trying to get that ball or set up a play but I am the most vocal player in the gym at all times. Whatever is best for the team is what I try to do. My goal is always to win even when I'm having an "off day". No matter what I will still be cheering on my teammates and giving it my all. 

 I played for my towns travel team from 4th to 8th grade and those are also the years I have played for my AAU team the Albany City Rocks. As a freshman I played up on a 16u team called the Capital City Lightning and I played up with them on the 17u team as a sophomore.  This summer I'm playing with the Lightning again and my varsity AAU team to help build chemistry for next year. As a sophomore  I played JV and last year I was on varsity. Basketball is more than just a game to me and I want nothing more than to continue to play this game in college. I will go anywhere as long as I am getting the opportunity to play the sport I love.