Aidan Melograna’s growth, outlook have helped carry Wilson to 4-0 start

The day after Wilson’s season ended with a loss to Cumberland Valley in the District 3 Tournament in March Aidan Melograna signed up for a membership at Colonial Fitness.

He was determined to get stronger and become a better basketball player — good enough to play in college.

Lofty goals for a rising junior who had never started a game.

“I wasn’t happy with how I was playing,” he said.

Melograna lifted and played every day during the offseason. He grew stronger, improved his shot and his all-around game. He even grew an inch or so to 6-4. His confidence skyrocketed.

He put his new game on display in the West Reading Summer League and was named the league’s most improved player and a finalist for MVP.

His transformation has continued in the early weeks of his senior season. He’s been the leading scorer in every game, including Tuesday when he dropped 19 points in a 60-53 non-league win over visiting Manheim Township.

“It’s good to see that if you put your mind to something you can make a big change,” said Melograna, who’s among the league’s top scorers at 17.5 points per game and 3-point leaders with 17.

Melograna was a role player last year. He was the Bulldogs’ best shooter, leading them with 30 3’s. He wanted more for himself and was disappointed when it didn’t happen.

“Last year was a rough year for me,” he said. “I was in a bad place in my mind. I’d miss a few shots and I’d get so down on myself because I knew I only had two or three minutes a quarter to produce. It’s tough. At a school like Wilson you have to produce and produce quickly.”

He’s been producing consistently this season and it’s been a vital part of the Bulldogs’ 4-0 start. They’re without their leading scorer and top defender from last season, Cam Jones, who’s out with a groin injury.

Melograna has more than picked up the slack.

He missed his first three shots Tuesday. A season ago that would’ve gotten to him. He would’ve taken himself out of the game mentally. Not anymore.

Tuesday he ignored the misses and moved on, looking for the next opportunity to knock down a shot. They came. He buried his first 3-pointer midway through the second quarter. He hit back-to-back 3’s early in the third quarter, part of a 14-0 half-opening run that pushed Wilson’s lead to 40-21.

After that 0-for-3 shooting start he finished by hitting seven of his final 10 shots and four of his last six from beyond the arc. A season ago that might not have happened.

“It’s basketball,” Melograna said. “You’ve got to get onto the next play, and (last year) I wasn’t moving on to the next play, I was thinking about the last play.”

Every good play during the first 2 1/2 quarters was vital for the Bulldogs, who took their foot off the gas pedal after building that big lead. The Blue Streaks (1-4) came roaring back. They scored 18 fourth-quarter points and got as close as 58-53 with 1:02 left on Caden Young’s three-point play.

Melograna answered with a pass to Ofure Odiale in transition half-a-minute later for the clinching bucket.

The Bulldogs played very well in stretches and showed off their depth and balance. Senior guard Cleveland Harding had 14 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Seamus Breslin scored 13 points. Ofure finished with nine points and 11 boards.

They turned the ball over just eight times and won the rebounding battle, 36-31.

Still, there were lapses in defense and they allowed way too many second and third shots.

“We showed glimpses tonight of what we can do,” Melograna said, “we just have to be able to continue that for four quarters. We’ve got some stuff to work on but at the end of the day we’re 4-0.”

“When we defend and we push the ball, I think we’re very dangerous,” said Wilson coach Matt Coldren. “We have multiple guys that can shoot it; we have multiple guys that can get to the rim.

“The fact that we’re 4-0 without Cam is a huge plus. When he comes back it’s going to be like an extra bonus.”

Melograna’s emergence has been a huge bonus. He had never shown this kind of ability before; he had never been one of the better players on the court. Now he is.

“He definitely brings a lot to the table,” said Harding. “We’ve always known he could shoot. It was just (him needing confidence).”

“He’s worked really hard,” Coldren said. “I think the weight room was huge for him, and that gave him confidence. He’s someone you want to model. He shows what can happen over a five, six-month period, if you put in hard work and time.”

Melograna has more work to do. He wants to be a more well-rounded player by the time he arrives at Arcadia University next season. His next coach, Adam Van Zelst, was in West Lawn Tuesday to watch him. That made his big night all the more special.

“The scouting report (on me) probably says shooter,” Melograna said. “I’m really trying to work on the other parts of my games. I’m trying not to be so one-dimensional. Some nights I’m just not gonna hit my shots; that’s basketball. I’ve gotta be able to get on the offensive and defensive glass. Pass the ball to my teammates, and it’ll be their night. As long as we win, I don’t care whose night it is.”

	1	2	3	4	Final
Manheim Township	6	15	14	18	53
Wilson	15	11	23	11	60

Blue Streaks (1-4)	FG	FT	3’s	A	R	Points
Young	4-10	3-5	3-4	3	2	14
Parmer	6-13	2-2	0-1	0	13	14
Snyder	2-7	0-0	1-4	0	2	5
Henson	4-12	0-0	3-6	1	2	11
Glass	1-2	0-0	0-0	0	4	2
Morant	0-2	0-0	0-0	0	1	0
Boll	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0
King	3-6	1-1	0-3	0	1	7
Kennel	0-2	0-0	0-0	1	3	0
Totals	20-54	6-8	7-18	5	28-31	53

Bulldogs  (4-0)	FG	FT	3’s	A	R	Points
Gruber	2-8	0-0	1-3	2	4	5
Harding	4-8	6-9	1-2	4	9	14
Melograna	7-13	1-2	4-8	1	7	19
Breslin	3-5	6-8	1-1	0	1	13
Odiale	4-9	1-2	0-0	0	11	9
Aikings	0-2	0-1	0-2	1	2	0
Crocona	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0
Cieniewicz	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0
McFadden	0-1	0-0	0-1	0	0	0
Totals	20-46	14-22	7-17	8	34-36	60

Turnovers: Manheim Township 15, Wilson 8.