Now in his fifth year of assisting the Demon coaching staff, Mark Mendez has seen the bottom of the basketball well and , last year, saw that well had indeed not run dry after NSU experienced its first winning season since the 1981-82 campaign.
Then again, being a winner is something the Mendy man has grown used to. Like the Demon hoop program, he's picked himself up off the deck more than a couple of times, most notable as a player during his college career.
After a standout prep career in his hometown of Galesburg, Illinois, the 28 year old attended Carl Sandburg Junior College. Playing the point guard spot, Mendez helped guide the club towards a 21-10 record, earning all-state JUCO honors following his averages of 19 points and seven assists per outing.
The colleges then came a calling, but Mendez selected Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois as the place to further his basketball education. That's when an injury to his ankle, what turned out to be a bone infection, occurred. Instead of lay-ups, he was laid down for a year as a medical redshirt. The doctors, who had originally wondered if Mendez would ever be able to walk normal again, were amazed to discover that not only was the patient walking, he was running and diving.
That's right -- diving. Not only did Mendez whip his injury, averaging 21 points per game and six assists, but he also starred as a third baseman, swatting .302. The Fighting Scots record during Mendez's senior year rounded out at 17-6, good enough for a spot in the NCAA's Division III playoffs. On the baseball diamond an even more impressive 25-4.
Not only was Mendez tabbed as the basketball team's Most Valuable Player, but he was also awarded Monmouth's Most outstanding Athlete. What would you expect from a guy who connected on a school-record 38 straight field goals and set a new single season assist record?Â
Mendez already possesses a master's degree in health and physical education from Northwestern State. He is in charge of the Demons summer camp along with pre-season and post-season conditioning.
