Muhls’ emerging Alex Collado is Weeber/Langdon Team of Merrill Lynch Player of the Week
Matt Flowers saw flashes of what Alex Collado could do last season and throughout the summer. Now the Muhlenberg coach is seeing that ability on a nightly basis.
“If you watched the body of work he did all summer long, and the consistency he showed in the gym, (you saw) what he’s doing right now,” Flower said of Collado, who has averaged 18.0 points through the Muhls’ first four games, third-highest in the league. “ It’s all a (result) of hard work, fighting through the negatives and growing up.”
The 6-2 senior scored a career-high 26 points in a win over Palmyra Tuesday and 20 points in a win against Williamsport Saturday to earn the season’s first Weeber/Langdon Team of Merrill Lynch Player of the Week award.
Collado is one of the few Muhlenberg players who saw much time on the court last season. He had trouble getting minutes on a senior-oriented team full of scorers but when he got his chances he did well, averaging 5.3 points over 27 games and sinking 19 3-pointers.
The highlight of his season came in a 67-64 win over Dallas. The Muhls trailed by seven at halftime before Collado scored 11 third-quarter points to give his team the lead. He finished with a team-high 16 points.
Now he’s doing that on a regular basis. He has scored 20 or more points three times; the only time he didn’t was against Central Dauphin, the only game the Muhls have dropped.
Flowers said Collado, a team captain, brings a lot to his team: Shooting ability, consistency, and work ethic. No. 1, said Flowers, is his leadership ability, critical on such a young team and one with so many first-year starters.
“He’s a leader every day,” Flowers said. “He leads by example. Any given play he’ll knock down that 3-ball; he can shoot it. But he’s such a great-character, great-leader kid that the guys are going to follow what he does.
“He talks like a winner; he works like a winner. Now he just needs to continue to perform like a winner.”
Collado is averaging 3.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game.
His presence has been key on a team that has had to replace its top five scorers, including all-division picks J’Daniel Mosquera and Xzavion Robertson.
Collado is Muhlenberg’s first basketball Player of the Week recipient.
Players considered for Player of the Week honors are nominated by their coach or by members of the MikeDragoSports.com coverage team.
Also considered for Player of the Week:
- Kingston McKoy, Berks Catholic
- Brendan Gaines, Daniel Boone
- Aiden Soumas, Fleetwood
- Jahmair Johnson, Gov. Mifflin
- Ben DeBalko, Oley Valley
- Nick Chapman, Reading High
- Jacob Zimmerman, Schuylkill Valley
- Carter Schmidt, Twin Valley
Players selected last season:
- Dec. 12: Jake Karnish, Fleetwood
- Dec. 19: Mark Rajnath, Schuylkill Valley
- Dec. 26: Ryan Koch, Berks Catholic
- Jan. 2: Myles Grey, Reading High
- Jan 9: Jake Karnish, Fleetwood
- Jan. 16: Yadiel Cruz, Reading High
- Jan. 23: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
- Jan. 30: Aiden Soumas, Fleetwood
- Feb. 6: Anthony Caccese, Exeter
- Feb. 13: Cooper Hohenadel, Schuylkill Valley
- Feb. 20: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
- Feb. 27: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
- March 6: Anthony Caccese, Exeter
- March 13: Myles Grey, Reading High
- March 20: Kevin Saenz, Exeter
- March 27: Nick Chapman, Reading High
Players selected in 2021-22 season:
- Dec. 20: Matt Harley, Gov. Mifflin
- Dec. 27: Colin Payne, Exeter
- Jan. 3: Jake Karnish, Fleetwood
- Jan. 10: Myles Grey, Reading High
- Jan. 17: Danny Turchi, Oley Valley
- Jan. 24: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
- Jan. 31: Julian O’Brien, Wyomissing
- Feb. 7: Xavier Goodman, Kutztown
- Feb. 14: Danny Turchi, Oley Valley
- Feb. 21: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
- Feb. 28: Hector Tiburcio, Antietam
- March 7: Joey Chapman, Reading High
