Joe Mooney
Notre Dame, G, Sr.
2014-15 stats: 19 ppg, 5 rpg, 4 apg
College: Undecided
The 6-foot-3 East Suburban Catholic player of the year shot 46 percent from 3-point range and had a 4-to-1 assist-turnover ratio. Mooney was the centerpiece of Notre Dame’s 26-5 team that pushed Stevenson, the eventual Class 4A state champion, in the sectional semifinals. The Dons lost 78-77. He has offers from Air Force, UC Davis and New Hampshire.
Q: Your brother Matt was a standout at Notre Dame and he’s playing for the Air Force men’s basketball team as a freshman. What’s it like when you two play one-on-one? Friendly competition?
A: Friendly is the last word I would use to describe our games. They often end with someone splitting us up, and we wouldn’t talk the rest of the game. Typical brotherly game.
Q: What did those games against your brother do for you?
A: Without a doubt they made me a tougher player. Getting my butt kicked by him humbled me and showed me how much harder I had to work to get better. It toughened me up mentally. You learn a lot about yourself when you get beat like that. He’s now a starting guard at a Division I school, and I want to play at that level, too.
Q: You had an offer from Air Force before the season and one from UC Davis — which is coached by Jim Les, the brother of Notre Dame boys basketball coach Tom Les — after the first game, yet you elected to play out your season without committing. Why?
A: I want to go on official visits to meet the coaches, the players. Those things are important to me. It was hard for me to do that during my season and their seasons. I want to know everything about the school before I commit. I plan to take an official visit to UC Davis on April 28-29.
Twitter: @harnesspreps