An international senior point guard that can do it all on the court.
6’4” Senior PG Lovro Mandalinić (BC Rudes- Croatia)
PLAYER: Lovro Mandalinić
BIRTHDATE: 04/09/1996 (19 Years Old)
CLASS: 2015
HEIGHT and WEIGHT: 6’4” 172lbs
WINGSPAN: 6’7”
LEAGUE: Croatia A-2 League (Similar to NBDL)
CLUB TEAM: BC Rudes (Zagreb, Croatia)
STATS:
HIGH SCHOOL- 20.6 Points (62.5 FG%) 7.3 Rebounds, 6.6 Assists per game
CLUB- 7.1 Points (52.4 FG%), 4.1 Rebounds, 4.3 Assists per game
INTRODUCTION:
When Lovro Mandalinić was first presented to our Phenom team, we were extremely excited to take on the challenge of exposing our first international player. Darko Sedlar, the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, VA, introduced us to Lovro a few weeks back and we were immediately impressed. Coach Sedlar, a Croatia native himself, played four years of D-II Basketball at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY and has an additional eight years of coaching experience at all different levels. He takes pride in developing players to the best of their ability. Coach Sedlar and his Bishops’ squad won the 2014 VISAA D-III Girls State Basketball Championship after winning only one game in their previous season where he was an assistant coach. He was given the 2014 Coach of the Year Award in the state of Virginia and led his team back to the playoffs yet again this season. When Coach Sedlar told us he had a hidden player that scouts needed to keep an eye on, we automatically knew we had to pay close attention.
COACH SEDLAR’S THOUGHTS ON MANDALINIĆ:
Lovro Mandalinić is an extremely athletic player with a skillset well beyond his age. He’s a phenomenal scorer with shifty handles making him an opponent’s nightmare every time he checks into the game. Lovro possesses a 6’7” wingspan giving him the ability to guard any position on the floor when needed. His shooting range is limitless. Lovro can attack the glass with ease, knock down the mid-range pull-up, or step back and bury 3-point shots deep behind the arc. Defensively, Lovro is a turnover-forcing machine. He consistently locks up opponents game after game and plays tight on-ball defense that leads to countless amounts of steals and an occasional blocked shot giving his team much-need momentum on offense. Simply put, Lovro can do it all. The Croatia A-2 League is a semi-professional league with a wide variety of players ranging from their early teens to veterans in their late thirties. The competition doesn’t intimidate this young gun at all. He has an extraordinarily high motor and is always determined to accomplish any obstacle thrown his way. Lovro is a very physical player that isn’t afraid to draw contact or get a little scrappy throughout crucial moments during crunch time. He hustles hard on both ends of the floor and has that strong work ethic that all college coaches desire. Off the hardwood, Lovro is a dedicated student in the classroom with a bright future beyond the game of basketball. He speaks both Croatian and English fluently and also happens to come from a very prestigious family. His possibilities and potential are endless. With the right coaching and proper guidance, Lovro could quickly develop into an absolute monster at the next level. We are definitely excited to see how he excels if given the chance to take his talents overseas here to the United States.