Updated this post following the completion of the 2020-21 season
Over the past 20 years, Mentor has proven to be one of the very best programs in the state. With 14 district titles, three regional titles, and one state championship - the 2000's have been filled with many amazing teams and players. Coach Krizancic, 679 career wins and counting, and his staff have built up a fantastic program featuring some of the best players in the area.
My rankings below represent the best of the best to have played for Krizancic over the past 20 years. Please note that the rankings here are made by me, a fan and follower of the program that has watched at least 200 of their games since 2000. My rankings do not represent the views of the coaches, school, or media. After making my list, I did reach out to Coach K for some thoughts on each player. Please note that the players for each tier appear in alphabetical order.
First Team
Luke Chicone
One of the most fun and exciting Mentor players to watch over the last 20 years, Chicone was one of the most successful players in program history. As a sophomore, Chicone was a key part of Mentor's record-setting 2018-19 season as he contributed 15 points and 6 assists a game. Chicone continued to turn heads with his incredible skills during a junior season where he earned Second Team All-Ohio honors while averaging 19.7 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.8 rebounds. His season was highlighted by a trio of unforgettable performances against Medina, a district champion and one of the top teams in the area. The first game against Medina was a loss, but Chicone scored 33 points that included six three-pointers. The following month, Mentor found themselves down by eight with roughly 40 seconds to play. Chicone scored the last 9 points of the game, including a long-range triple to win the game at the buzzer. His biggest game came in the 2020 regional semifinal rubber match with Medina. With his backcourt mate (Luke Floriea) fouling out early in the 4th quarter, Chicone put the team on his back with 39 points in a 76-72 double-overtime victory. As a senior, Chicone guided the team to an unprecedented 19-0 regular season. That was followed up by a memorable tournament run that included a district title, regional title, and the program's third Final Four appearance. He earned Northeast Lake District Player of the Year honors and was a Mr. Basketball finalist. Chicone, a Youngstown State recruit, finished his career as the third all-time leading scorer in program history.
Coach K Says: “He does everything well. Really solid defensively and has developed into a great shooter. An underrated part of his game is as a rebounder. The best handles I have ever coached. He is the whole package."
Jaron Crowe
I remember reading Coach Krizancic say that if he were picking a team from all of his past players, his first choice would be Jaron. He could score (as evidenced by joining the 1,000-point career club), but it was his skill as a pure point guard that separated him from every other player. Crowe played the position better than any Mentor player has before or since. His ability to run the offense, limit turnovers, get to the lane, and hit shots was second to none. Playing alongside all-time leading scorer Cole Krizancic and future Mr Basketball Justin Fritts gave Mentor quite an advantage over the opposition when it came to guard play. Crowe was a three-year starter that was a part of 61 wins. After being a double-digit scorer as a sophomore, he took more ownership of the team as a junior with scoring 15.7 ppg and earning All-District honors. In the 2009 district final, Crowe scored a team-high 23 points in a 59-50 win over Brush as he outdueled area legend Nate Tait. He followed that up by scoring 26 points in the district final win against Brush the following season. Crowe was instrumental in helping guide Mentor to three district titles, which included the program's first trip to the Final Four in 2010. In his final game, Crowe hit a state semifinal record seven three-pointers en route to a game-high 28 points in an overtime loss to Cincinnati Moeller. Crowe was named the Plain Dealer's MVP of the 2009-10 season as he averaged 19 points, 7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds a game.
Coach K Says: “His basketball IQ was off the charts. Just as smart on defense as offense. He was the floor general. Jaron's last three seasons (three district titles) were part of a great run."
Justin Fritts
After earning some playing time as a freshman, Fritts jumped into a starting role as a sophomore on the 2009-10 team that was the first at Mentor to make a state Final Four. Playing alongside Cole Krizancic and Jaron Crowe, the trio was as good as any the state has seen. Fritts was Second Team All-Ohio as a junior as he led the regional runners-up in scoring. As a junior, the 2010-11 Mentor team (also featuring Krizancic and Collin Barth) was the highest scoring offense in program history. The following season, Fritts transitioned from being one part of a talented trio to becoming the lead man. As a senior, Fritts set Mentor's single-season scoring mark with 28.1 ppg to go along with leading the team in steals as well as being one of the top rebounders. His biggest regular season game was a 44-point performance in a win over basketball power Garfield Heights, a team that Mentor would share the conference title with that season. During the district final win against Brush, Fritts led the team with 24 points as he outdueled Brush's Pharaoh Brown (future Cleveland Browns TE). Fritts earned the state's most prestigious award in 2011-12: Mr. Basketball. Quite simply, it was the most dominant single season in program history. Fritts is second on the all-time scoring mark at Mentor with 1,697 points. During his three years as a starter, the Cards advanced to regionals all three years and the team won 15 tournament games.
Coach K Says: “He went to the hole as well as anybody, getting to the free throw line a ton. Justin made so many huge plays for us. He hated to lose and it helped him turn into a great basketball player."
Cole Krizancic
The oldest son of legendary Coach Bob Krizancic had a lot to live up to. A starter since he was a freshman, Cole made quite an impact in the program. A strong sophomore season (15 ppg) helped Mentor win back-to-back district titles as Cole took on more of the scoring. He was a starting guard for 19 tournament victories over his career. None were bigger than the 2010 regional final win over heavily favored St Edward. Krizancic, a junior at the time, scored a game-high 21 points in helping send Mentor to their first trip to the state Final Four. That was part of a season that saw Cole average 27 ppg and earn First Team All-Ohio honors. A shifty and versatile offensive genius, Krizancic is still the all-time leading scorer (1,763 points) at Mentor. With an ability to score inside and out, Cole is in the state record book with 252 career three-pointers. With that much scoring, he had a lot of memorable games. One that stands out is a 41-point performance in a 76-67 win over Brush in the 2011 district final. That was one point short of Cole's career-high 42-point masterpiece against Warren Harding at the Wolstein Center the season before. He is forever a celebrity in Bristol, TN for entertaining thousands of hoops junkies in earning MVP of the Arby's Classic in 2010. A winner in every sense of the word, he is the standard to which all elite Mentor basketball players are measured.
Coach K Says: “Growing up, he went to all kinds of camps that helped him develop a high IQ. Cole used his body as well as anybody. He shot the three really well. He scored a ton of points in the paint. Cole always came up big in big time games. His junior year, including that game against Warren Harding, was amazing."
Adam May
At 6'8 with the skills of a guard, May was a matchup nightmare. He could shoot from three, score inside, and was a master at getting to the free-throw line and converting. May has the program single-game scoring record with 49 points to open his senior season against North. He was the first Division I basketball recruit for the program as May would sign and play with Holy Cross after graduating in 2006. May came onto the scene as a sophomore and was the second-leading scorer on the team behind All-Ohio guard Tony Martucci. During his junior and senior seasons, May was the focal point of the offense. He averaged 23.3 ppg in his junior season and earned Second Team All-Ohio. One thing that had escaped May during his first two years in the starting lineup was winning a district title. As a senior, May helped lead Mentor over Glenville in an unforgettable 68-67 district final victory. He had memorable battles with Lake Catholic's Ricky Stanzi (future NFL QB) and Solon's Dallas Lauderdale (future OSU basketball starter). His 32 points were enough to get Mentor the big rivalry win against Stanzi's Cougars during May's senior season. In May's final game, he had 32 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists in a loss to Lauderdale's Solon team at the Akron regional semifinal. He earned First Team All-Ohio as a senior with 23 ppg. May's 1,480 points are 3rd all-time for the program.
Coach K Says: “Being 6'8, he had great guard skills. Adam had a great basketball IQ being the son of a coach. A play that stands out was at the end of the 2006 district final against Glenville (pass to Joey Meyer to win at the buzzer). Not many times will your best player give up the ball and make the right pass in that situation."
Second Team
Luke Floriea
Floriea lettered as a freshman on a district championship squad in 2017. He emerged as a starter as a sophomore before making a huge leap his junior season. Floriea became the heart and soul of two of the best teams in Krizancic's era at Mentor. The small and speedy point guard used his inside/outside game to help guide Mentor to back-to-back district titles. In 2018-19, Floriea was the team's leading scorer (19.2 ppg) in a season where they set program records for regular-season wins (20) and winning percentage (.909). Floriea earned Second Team All-Ohio as a junior. His dominant regular season performance against Euclid boasted career highs for points (39) and three-pointers (eight). But the biggest game of his career came in a highly competitive district final win in 2019 against a very talented Brush squad littered with DI college talent. Generously listed at 5'10, Floriea was the best player on the floor as he scored 30 points in a 77-73 comeback victory for the Cardinals. During his senior season, Floriea demonstrated his determination and skill in a 26-point winning effort at Shaker Heights that helped Mentor win a share of the GCC. Floriea had another big-time performance (20 points) in the district final against Brush. He finished his career as one of the rare 1,000-point scorers in program history. A Kent State recruit at wide receiver, Floriea earned All-Ohio status in football and basketball during both his junior and senior seasons.
Coach K says "Fiercest competitor, just hated to lose. He made that jump from sophomore to junior year and wanted it to be his team as a junior, and we went 20-2 in the regular season. Won three districts in his four years. He came to play in the big games. His competitiveness really rubbed off on the rest of the players."
Jeff Foreman
How does a team that graduated a Mr. Basketball winner (Fritts), the starting point guard (Danny Wallack), and a third starter (Mr. Football winner Mitch Trubisky) win a state title the following season? There are many reasons, but the play of Jeff Foreman is at the top of the list. A rotation player as a sophomore, Foreman always showed glimpses of his potential to be the next great Mentor guard. After a steady season as a junior in the starting lineup for the 2012 district champs, Foreman was expected to carry a big part of the load in running the offense as a senior. With Fritts/Wallack gone, Foreman was the most experienced and most capable ball handler. His regular-season numbers (14 ppg) were modest compared to gauging stats from some other players. That was by design as that state championship team was incredibly balanced. Nobody, including Foreman, had to put the team on their back and score 30 a night. In fact, it was pretty rare for a player on that team to score even 20 in a game. Instead, the entire starting lineup averaged 10-15 points a game. Foreman earned his reputation as an all-timer with his impressive tournament run. Beginning with the district final, Foreman led the team in scoring (17.6 ppg over the final five games) and assists. His 20 points in the state semifinal were key to upsetting unbeaten and top-ranked Columbus Northland. The next day in the state final, Foreman hit two early three-pointers and scored the first 8 points to help Mentor settle into a high pressure moment. The team would get the 76-67 victory over Toledo Rogers that included 19 points from their senior point guard. Foreman was the unequivocal leader and motivator for the best team ever to play at Mentor.
Coach K says "Something clicked and he became the best player in the state in March. Jeff did everything for us. He was our best defensive player, but we had to save him on offense. He became a great leader during that stretch run for the state championship."
Joey Meyer
He burst onto the scene as the area's premier shooter as a sophomore during Mentor's 2006 district title run. Starting alongside a group of seniors, Meyer played a key role in helping the Adam May-led squad cut down the nets at Euclid. Down two points in the closing seconds, it was Meyer who hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give Mentor a 68-67 win over Glenville in the district final. His shot and reputation were so highly coveted that the News-Herald brought in the young sophomore as a "ringer" to square off with the top senior at the NH Classic's shooting competition. Meyer would be the team's leading scorer as a junior and a senior. As a senior, he guided Mentor to a 20-5 record despite sharing a backcourt with a freshman and sophomore. During his senior season, Meyer earned First Team All-Ohio honors as he scored 21.5 ppg for the 2008 district championship team. Aside from his memorable game-winning moment as a sophomore, the biggest game of Meyer's career was a 42 point outburst in a road win at Cleveland Heights. He was a 1,000-point career scorer and was considered by Coach Krizanic to be "the best shooter I have ever seen." That is high praise considering the talent that has come into his gym.
Coach K says "One of the hardest workers and purest shooters we ever had. Started three years and won two district titles. Close to 90 percent free throw shooter and 40 percent at three, he was a luxury to have."
Eddie Zienkowski
Zienkowski emerged during his sophomore season as a super sub on the 2000-01 senior-laden team that won 17 regular season games and a district title. Filling in as a starter after injury, he was a key part of the 2001 district champs. Eddie was an elite scorer and one of the best shooters to play for Mentor. Zienkowski was the team leader during his junior and senior seasons as he guided the Cardinals to three straight district titles (2001-2003). During his junior season, Zienkowski poured in 31 huge points in a regional semifinal win over Barberton. The unexpected run to the Elite Eight in 2002 was the program's first appearance. Eddie's senior class of 2003 (featuring Nick Meyer, Kyle Binns, Mark Martucci, etc.) was one of the very best at Mentor. This class was good enough for Krizancic to schedule LeBron's James' SVSM team during the 2002-03 season. Zienkowski scored a team-high 20 points, but LeBron and company routed the Cardinals as expected. As a senior, Eddie was Third Team All-Ohio in averaging 25.4 ppg. His best game came in the 2003 district final. In a memorable performance against Brush, Zienkowski scored 37 points as he outdueled a red hot Raymond Mosby in guiding Mentor to an 81-72 win at Euclid. At the time of his graduation, Zienkowski was the all-time leading scorer for the program. His 1,299 career points were eventually passed by Adam May in 2006.
Coach K says, "He stepped up as a sophomore when injury hit Brad Gerard. He might've shot more free throws than anyone else I coached. He used his body so well. What he lacked in athleticism and quickness, he made up for it in other ways. Eddie used every single ounce of ability."
Third Team
Scott Branchick
Branchick was a three-year starter and one of the more consistent inside scorers to play for Krizancic. His teams won two district titles (2008 and 2009). Branchick emerged with a strong junior season, averaging 13.5 ppg. As a senior, his numbers were not necessarily eye-popping (13 ppg in the regular season) due to sharing a backcourt with the likes of Jaron Crowe and Cole Krizancic. But Branchick's reputation was earned by what he did in the tournament over his junior and senior seasons. Playing his best in the biggest games, Branchick scored 82 points over a three-game stretch in his junior season at the Euclid district tournament. That included 20 second-half points in a 57-50 district final against Glenville to help Mentor erase a 4th quarter deficit and cut down the nets at Euclid. That was the first of what would be six straight district titles for the program. As a senior, he continued his big play in the tournament by scoring 41 points in a sectional win against Shaw and a team-high 20 points in the district semifinal win against Madison. In Branchick's final game, he accounted for more than half of the team's total points in scoring 27 in a 50-43 regional semifinal loss to North Ridgeville.
Coach K says, "Scott was a great slasher that could get to the hole as well as anyone. A three year starter that was on two district championship teams. He was our leading scorer his senior year. Became a good three-point shooter, a really nice high school player."
Jason Bratten
Bratten was the leader for one of the most talented classes of Mentor basketball players in the last 20 years. They went 33-7 in the regular season over Bratten's junior/senior years. They won the extremely competitive Lake Erie League in both of those seasons. The class of 2001 included starters Rick Martucci, Brad Gerard, Jason Crowe, and Kevin Boyle. As a junior, Bratten's season was highlighted by hitting a buzzer-beating shot to defeat LEL rival Euclid. He also came up big in a program-defining regular season win over St Ignatius. Bratten was the best all-around player on one of the highest scoring teams ever at Mentor. The talented 6'3 guard was also the starting QB on the football team. Bratten finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds in a highly competitive 83-82 overtime win against Glenville in the district final. He averaged 17 ppg as a senior and earned First Team All-District honors.
Coach K says "One of the best athletes ever in the program. His class set the tempo and started the great run for us in tournament play. Defensively and offensively, his athleticism was off the charts. We played a brutal schedule and still went 17-3 as a senior."
Conner Krizancic
The younger son of Coach K was known more for his football accomplishments, but Conner was a four-year letter-winner in basketball and a central part of the 2013 state championship team. After coming off the bench as a sophomore on the 2011 district champs, Krizancic earned a starting role as a junior. Conner proved to be one of the team's top shooters and defenders. He averaged 13 ppg on the state championship team, but increased his scoring when it mattered most. In the regional final win against Shaker Heights, Krizancic led the team in scoring with 17 points. Conner played nearly every second of the two state tournament games and scored a total of 33 points, which was second only to Jeff Foreman. His four triples in the state final helped give Mentor a 76-67 win as well as the school's only basketball state championship. With half of the championship core gone, Krizancic took on more of the scoring his senior year in averaging 16.1 ppg and earning Second Team All-District honors. He finished just short (979 career points) of joining his big brother in the 1,000-point club. When push came to shove, Krizancic had the talent, leadership, and toughness to help both the football and basketball programs reach incredible heights. He is quite possibly the most accomplished multi-sport athlete in Mentor history.
Coach K says, "He was solid on both ends of the floor. Conner was so tough to guard due to his size and strength. Extremely flexible on both ends of the floor. He was so consistent. One of the smartest athletes I have ever coached."
Caleb Potter
The oldest member of the most athletic family in Mentor history, Caleb was a standout in baseball (West Virginia commit) and basketball. As part of a talented class of basketball players and athletes that included Brandon Fritts, Conner Krizancic, and Kade McClure (all earning DI college scholarships) - Caleb was as versatile and talented as any. As a sophomore, he was a key bench player on the 2012 district champs. Potter demonstrated his potential with 14 points in a regional semifinal loss to WGH. He moved into the starting lineup as a junior and averaged a team-high 15 ppg for the state championship team. Potter showed his grit most in a roller coaster 24-hour period in between the state semifinal and final. After a frustrating scoreless semifinal that saw him on the bench most of the second half, Potter bounced back and had the hot hand in the championship game. He led the team in scoring with 24 points as the program won their first state title. As a senior, Potter opened the season with a couple of 30-point games. He missed a handful of games due to an injury or he would've been another member of the 1,000-point club. Even still, Potter's senior season saw him average a team-high 19.4 ppg in leading Mentor to their seventh straight district final.
Coach K says "A really good athlete, one of the best shooters we had. Had a great state championship game. Became very good defensively too. Baseball was number one, but he had a really great basketball career."
Micah Potter
In terms of pure ability and potential, there has not been a bigger talent (both figuratively and literally) than the 6'10 Potter. Micah is the biggest Potter brother, sandwiched in between Caleb (all-time Mentor great basketball player and West Virginia baseball recruit) and Noah (Mentor's All-Ohio defensive end currently playing football for OSU). Potter committed to the Buckeyes for basketball shortly after his junior season at Mentor. A couple months later, Micah would leave Mentor and Ohio as he transferred to a prep school in Florida for his senior season. Without having the full potential of his entire career at Mentor, it is hard to rank him against players that did. But still, Potter's final season in Mentor was one of the more dominant single seasons in program history. As a sophomore, Potter played alongside Caleb and a few other core members of the state championship team. During the second half of the season, Micah put together a string of double-double performances that showed his potential as Mentor advanced to the district final. During his junior season, Potter was the focal point of the offense. He used his size and skills to dominate the opposition. He scored a career-high 37 points in a regular season win against Strongsville. He averaged 20 and 9 as a junior, earning Third Team All-Ohio honors. Potter's final game for Mentor was a triple double that included ten blocks. Had Potter stayed for his senior season, he would have finished higher on this list. After an impressive end to his college career at Wisconsin, Potter is playing in the G-League in hopes of making an NBA roster.
Coach K says, "Micah had a great work ethic. He slimmed down a bit in between his sophomore and junior year. You can look at him now and see that he has made himself into being one of the most skilled big men in college."
Chad Rogers
A Penn State recruit for baseball, the strong and agile Rogers (6'5, 230) put together two of the most impressive offensive seasons in recent memory. He finished just short of 1,000 points in his career despite missing his sophomore season due to Tommy John surgery. Rogers was one of the best post players that Krizancic has coached at Mentor. His ability to score inside and outside helped make Mentor one of the best offensive teams in the state during his junior and senior seasons. Rogers was 2nd team All-District as a junior while averaging 16 and 8 in helping Mentor win a district title in 2019. As a senior, he was part of the most talented Mentor trio (along with Luke Floriea and Luke Chicone) since the 2010 run. Rogers led the team in scoring as a senior with 21.5 ppg to go along with averaging 8.5 rebounds. A consistent scorer, Rogers showed off his ability to take over a game with 39 points against Elyria that included a 17-point outburst in the 2nd quarter. He scored 21 points in the 2020 district final win while going up against a national top 100 player in John Hugley, a 6'10 Pitt recruit, from Brush. This came a year after Rogers scored 18 points in the district final win the season before against Hugley and Brush. Mentor won 43 games in the two seasons with Rogers in the lineup.
Coach K says, "He came out his junior year and shocked everyone after being injured as a sophomore. He developed into a really great player, just 16 points short of 1,000 points. He had two of the best years, especially coming off Tommy John surgery. One of the best shooting bigs. I loved coaching Chad."
Honorable Mention
Rick Martucci and Brad Gerard: Martucci and Gerard were key parts of a talented senior class that helped take the program to the next level. Martucci was one of the leading scorers (15 ppg) and rebounders on Mentor's district title team in 2000-01. The team finished with a 21-4 record with Gerard playing point guard and averaging a team-high 19 ppg. Both players were all-district selections as seniors. Martucci led the team with 23 points in the huge district final win over Glenville. This senior class began a stretch of three straight district titles, and 10 district titles over 13 seasons.
Nick Meyer: The 2nd leading scorer (behind Zienkowski) and an All-District guard on Mentor's back-to-back district championship teams in 2002 and 2003. Meyer's biggest game of his career came in a district semifinal game against Collinwood in which Zienkowski played sparingly and eventually fouled out. Meyer put the team on his back and helped guide the Cardinals to a 62-61 win. Meyer scored 24 points, including the go-ahead free throw with 5 seconds left in the game.
Brandon Fritts: While football was his best sport, don't sell Fritts short on the hardwood. A three-year varsity player, Fritts was a key rotation player as a sophomore on the 2012 district champs led by older brother Justin. He was one of the team's best rebounders and a key part of the full-court defensive pressure that made Mentor so dangerous. Fritts missed the first month of his junior season due to a football injury, but still averaged 12 and 8 as a starter on the 2013 state championship team. Fritts, the most accomplished receiver in Mentor football history, didn't play basketball his senior year due to graduating early to enroll for spring ball at UNC. Had he stayed and played, Fritts' basketball career would've been even more special.
Brody Nelson, Michael Gallagher, Kade McClure: These were three key members of the 2013 state championship team. Nelson, part of the starting five, was the team's defensive stopper and a double-digit scorer. His 17 points against previously undefeated Columbus Northland in the state semifinal was instrumental in the championship run. Gallagher was an infectious energy player that came off the bench to provide defense and timely shooting. McClure, a mismatch as a 6'7 athlete with the skills of a guard, is now pitching for the White Sox organization. McClure provided incredible depth off the bench as a junior before averaging 14.5 ppg as a senior starter in the 2013-14 season.
Jack Korsok: After showing some scoring potential as a junior, Korsok stepped it up and put together an incredible senior season. He averaged 21.3 points and 5.7 rebounds a game and was named to Third Team All-Ohio. His regular season was highlighted by a record-setting 10 three-pointers in a 44-point game against Euclid and then later a memorable showdown with NEO legend Michael Bothwell. Bothwell, a DI recruit at Furman, was a three-time All-Ohio guard at Cornerstone Christian Academy (2016 DIV state champs). Korsok matched him shot for shot in scoring a team-high 35 points to help give Mentor a dramatic 92-90 victory to close the regular season. His 37 points in the district semifinal against Glenville and then 18 points in an 84-61 win over Solon in the district final helped give Mentor their first district title in four years.
Jonah Waag and Steven Key: These two guards transferred into Mentor for their senior seasons in 2020-21. They worked alongside Luke Chicone to form one of the most talented trios in the state. Waag and Key were instrumental parts of Mentor's record-setting 19-0 perfect regular season and Final Four appearance. The Cards finished #1 in the final AP poll, a first in program history. Waag was Second Team All-District and Key was Third Team. While they didn't have the lengthy career impact that the others did, they will forever be integral parts of the special 2021 run.
