They say you only get one chance to make a good first impression.
However, for Metea Valley’s Mark Konkle, his second impression is proving to be quite more enlightening than his first.
As for a junior for Bob Vozza’s Mustangs in 2013-14, Konkle averaged 9.1 points and 7.2 rebounds a game for a team that won 16 games.
With his senior year winding down, Konkle, who has signed on to play on the offensive line for Hillsdale College’s football program, has made good on being given the opportunity to be the go-to-guy for the Mustangs’ offense.
Entering the Mustangs’ game with Naperville Central on Tuesday night, the 6-foot-6 Konkle is averaging 14.6 points and 7.68 rebounds a game, both team highs.
“I mean, there’s definitely more confidence, I think. It’s not that I wasn’t confident last year. But, you know, with having Montrel (Oliver) and Bryson (Oliver) and Nick (Dodson) all returning, I think those are going to be your main guys a lot of the time,” Konkle said. “So it’s not that I wanted to take a step back, but definitely not take away from their offense, as well. I think this year, I had to step into that role where I’m kind of that guy where I’m kind of that guy returning.”
Through their first 25 games, the Mustangs have averaged just a shade over 61 points a game at 61.04 points.
For a team that has only two players averaging in double figures, the ability to be able to go down low and get a bucket when you need one is a luxury.
“Just getting in transition and running our sets and then giving the ball to Mark,” said Ron Edwards, the Mustangs’ lone other double-digit scorer at 10.9 points a game entering this week. “He’s a big guy, so that’s easy points for him. So when they double team him, we’re cutting to the basket and getting easy layups.”
A measure of consistency for much of the year, Konkle scored 18 points in Metea Valley’s first-ever victory over West Aurora on Feb. 5, a 75-59 victory.
Five days later, Konkle poured in 18 points once again during the Mustangs’ wire-to-wire, 68-47 victory over Oswego East.
Asked what the differences are for his big man from his junior year in 2013-14 to where he’s at now, Vozza believes it all boils down to one thing.
“I think last year was a pretty important year for him, in terms of experience. He missed a lot of his sophomore year being hurt. So I think he gained a lot of confidence last year, kind of learning on the job type thing,” Vozza said. “You could just see at least at the start of the summer preparing for the season, he kind of took his leadership role, being more vocal and just a confidence thing.”
Both Konkle and Vozza credit the time and work Mustangs’ assistant coach Tim Pease has put in with Konkle from the end of last year, through the summer and up to now for the strides Konkle has made with his footwork and ability to score so well with his back to the basket.
Metea Valley (13-12) enters its game Tuesday with Naperville Central on a five-game winning streak and playing cohesively as a unit on both ends of the floor at just the right time as Class 4A seedings and pairings will be released later this week.
After Tuesday’s visit from the Redhawks, a road game Friday at Bartlett and a home date with Glenbard East is all that remains for the Mustangs before the start of the state tournament.
With the way things have been going lately for Konkle and crew, a lengthy postseason run is possible.
“We had that lull a little bit where the ball just wasn’t bouncing our way. I think it wasn’t that we weren’t playing hard. We just weren’t getting those breaks that I think right now the ball might be bouncing our way,” Konkle said. “So I think the key is just to be working hard in practice because that’s what transitions over to the games, I think.
“We’ve done a really great job of that all season but especially our practices have been really intense the past couple months. So I think we just need to keep working hard in practice and that’ll hopefully transition to the games and keep staying hot.”
