Stretching defenses and creating space in a half court set is a common goal for most teams on offense. A common way to achieve this is by having accurate perimeter shooters who force defenses to stretch out to the perimeter. For the Miramonte Matadors, they have that threat in shooting guard, Eddy Ionescu.
The 2016 prospect has been on the varsity team since his sophomore year and will likely be a starter in his junior year. Last season, he was in the playing rotation as he helped his Matadors to an 18-13 record before losing in the Northern California quarterfinals.
Ionescu had a solid summer as he played up with the Oakland Soldiers Blue 17U club as a sophomore. He previously played with MVP Flight Elite from 5th through 8th grade but did not play in club basketball in high school till this past summer.
Soldiers Coach Ray Thomas says, "Eddy has tremendous upside. With improvement in the strength department, it will allow him to attack the rim better. His athleticism will only get better. In several of our games this summer, he made over four 3-pointers and colleges have taken notice. Pepperdine, Whitman, and Sacramento State have noticed. At this point, he is a low DI player but from the improvement he has shown from the spring to the summer, Eddy's ceiling is high. I absolutely expect Eddy to make a lot of noise at Miramonte this coming HS season."
At 6-foot-4 and 170 pounds, Ionescu has good size for the shooting guard position. He uses a jab step to create enough separation to give him an open look. As he is expected to take on a more prominent role on the team, Ionescu works hard during the summer to add strength to be able to handle more physical punishment in the paint and to take the ball to the basket with more effectiveness.
Coach Thomas continues, "Eddy's main strength is his ability to shoot the basketball. He moved up to the 17u circuit from 16u level and made an immediate impact on our team. With his 6-foot-4 frame and his athleticism also proved to help us in the rebounding department. On the court, Eddy has a good basketball IQ. Team first guy. He has a good motor on offense and defense. He seems like he makes all the right decisions. Off the court, he is very popular with his teammates. Eddy is a funny kid that gets along with everyone."
Ionescu's twin sister, Sabrina, is a national level prospect at the shooting guard. His sister holds almost two dozen offers from BCS level schools. When asked about their college decision making process and if it would be a packaged deal, Ionescu says, "Most likely we would both like it if we could play basketball at the same school. Ultimately, it just depends where she wants to go. We would both like to stay together and play basketball at the same school."
Miramonte will have a potent team next season as seniors Jake Linares, Jackson Wagner, and Moneer Mujadiddi will guide the team. With junior Ionescu helping stretch the defense, watch for the Matadors to make a bull run in Orinda, Calif.
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