When Wilson’s 2021-22 boys basketball season was brought to an end with a loss in the District 3 Class 6A seventh-place game, Aidan Melograna walked off the court with a sour taste in his mouth and one simple goal: improve as much as possible before the following season.
Melograna began working immediately and returned to the court this summer with his teammates in the West Reading Ron Krick Memoria High Schooll League, where the Bulldogs, playing as Marella Financial, finished second after falling 46-45 in overtime to Berks Packing (Berks Catholic) in the championship game on Thursday night.
Melograna, a rising senior, was named a league all-star and earned the Woozy Smith Award, which is given to the league’s most improved player.
“It means a ton to me,” Melograna said about winning the award. “I told myself at the end of the (high school) season that I was going to be a much better player. I was a little frustrated on how last season went for me and our team’s success.”
A versatile player and sharpshooter from beyond the arc, Melograna averaged 4.9 points per game last season and led Wilson in 3-pointers with 30. Since last season, Melograna said he’s worked tirelessly on all aspects of his game and even added around 10 pounds of muscle to his 6-3 frame to help him be more effective in the paint.
“It’s good to see improvements in all aspects of my game,” Melograna said. “My self confidence has skyrocketed this year. It’s gotten a lot better just from working hard.”
In his second season in the summer league, Melograna helped guide Marella Financial to the championship game, where Melograna scored seven points.
“Our starting five, we are very good,” Melograna said. “It’s about playing together as a team. We’re going to be a real good team come the winter if we keep working and playing hard.”
While he and his team fell short of the league title, Melograna said playing in the summer league for two years has provided him with a prime opportunity to assess his strengths and weaknesses.
“It helps me a lot,” he said. “It helps me see where my game is at and what I need to work on throughout the fall to be a better player in the winter.”
And while he was thankful to win the most improved player award this summer, Melograna is focused solely on helping Wilson win championships this winter.
“I want to win a county championship and I want to win a district championship,” Melograna said. “This doesn’t mean anything compared to that trophy.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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