STEEL VALLEY CONFERENCE Ingram's goggles have goals in view

Before playing at Wofford next year, the Mooney standout will lead a team which went 9-11 overall.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Over the past four years, Mooney senior basketball player Curtis Ingram has become known for three things -- his skill, his goggles and his desire to stick with one sport.
So how often is Ingram asked why he didn't play football?
"Every day," he said with a laugh.
Instead, Ingram lifted and played with travel teams in the off-season, working to improve his decision-making and become a more complete player.
Earns scholarship
That dedication paid off. The four-year starter earned a scholarship to Division I Wofford (S.C.) next fall.
"I really liked the coaches and I just really wanted to get away from Youngstown," Ingram, a 6-foot-3 guard, said. "I wanted a fresh start."
Ingram averaged 16.4 points per game last season and earned first team all-Steel Valley Conference and Division III all-state honors. He led the young Cardinals into the district semifinal, where they lost to eventual district champion St. Thomas Aquinas in overtime.
Mooney returns five of its top seven players from that team, including four starters, and could contend for SVC and district titles. The Cardinals started three sophomores on last year's team, which went 1-7 in the SVC and 9-11 overall.
"Some of the players were really young and that put lot of pressure on Curtis to create his own opportunities and to create some things for other people," Mooney coach Nick Bellino said. "Now those guys are more experienced and they can help make him better. They're there for him and he can look out for them.
"I think he feels better about this year."
Mooney lost several close games last season -- "I think we only lost one or two games by more than 10 points," Bellino said -- and having a more veteran team should help the Cardinals win some of those close games.
Complications minimized
"When you're as young as we were, it's hard to learn the game and win the game at the same time," Bellino said. "Now we're running a lot more and we can do more as a team."
The Cardinals will focus on improving their team defense and becoming more balanced on offense.
"We move the ball around a lot and now everybody is getting involved," Ingram said. "I think we played together before, but we're doing it even more this year. I think a lot of players are sacrificing their game for the good of the team."
That unselfishness, combined with a tough schedule, should translate into good things for the Cardinals.
"We go through adversity during the regular season and we're a much better team when we get to the tournaments," Bellino, who has never lost a first-round tournament game in 11 years, said. "And this team is really goal-oriented so I really don't have to say anything or write down goals to motivate them. It's always in the back of their minds."
scalzo@vindy.com