Mangrum article

[Marty]

Howe's Collin card

Mangrum ready to sign letter of intent with North Texas

By Bill Spinks

Herald Democrat

HOWE - For two seasons, Collin Mangrum played literally in the shadow of a 6-foot-9 teammate who drew a lot of attention from college recruits. Little did Mangrum know he was getting his own positive evaluation all along.

While scouting Howe (and future North Texas) center Justin Howerton, the UNT coaching staff became interested in the Bulldogs' swing man early.

“Somebody told me when I was a sophomore they saw me working out after practice, and they decided to keep an eye on me from there and see how things turned out,” Mangrum said.

Things did indeed turn out.

Mangrum will sign a national letter of intent with the Mean Green on Wednesday, the opening day of the NCAA's early signing period. Next fall, he will team up once again with Howerton in Denton.

“That's one of the main reasons I went down there,” Mangrum said. “So I can reunite with him and play with him one more time. I'm looking forward to it.”

Howe coach Tim Rose said it's rare at the Class 2A level to have two Division I signees.

“We're just very fortunate to have Collin,” Rose said. “He's a very special player. He's worked hard to get himself where he is now. He's the hardest-working kid I've ever had in 26 years (of coaching.) His work ethic is what sets him apart.”

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Mangrum committed to the Mean Green on May 27, choosing UNT over a list of colleges including TCU, SMU, Tulsa and Baylor. He took his official visit to the campus last weekend.

He averaged 15.6 points, seven rebounds and 4.5 assists per game last winter. He raised his scoring average to 22 points per game during Howe's postseason advance to the Class 2A state tournament.

On the state's biggest stage, Mangrum scored 32 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in a semifinal loss to Jim Ned at the Erwin Center.

“That game wasn't a good game for anybody,” he said. “It could've been anybody that day. It just so happened I was able to get some shots off, and they fell early. They were triple-teaming Howerton, and you can't go to him when he's being triple-teamed. That opened me up.”

At the end of last season, Mangrum was named to both the Class 2A All-State and All-State Tournament teams by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. This fall, he is a preseason second-team All-State selection (in all classifications) by Texas Basketball magazine. He was ranked as the No. 38 recruit in the state by Texas Hoops.

Mangrum missed most of last spring's AAU action while healing a stress fracture, but returned in the summer and played for the Dallas Mustangs, a team featuring some of the area's top players.

Summer AAU basketball is a level higher than typical Class 2A ball. Basketball in Division I, even in the mid-major ranks, is a whole level higher still.

“The speed of the game is so much different,” Mangrum said, “but hopefully I'll get accustomed to that by going down there and playing with the guys, and getting in the same type of shape they are. It's a different shape. In 2A you can be in great shape, but in Division I you'd be in horrible shape.”

Mangrum will probably play as a shooting guard at UNT, which finished 14-14 last season and enters its fifth year under head coach Johnny Jones.

Rose said he thinks Mangrum has a chance to develop into a solid player at the collegiate level.

“He's big, he's strong, and he's pretty quick,” Rose said. “He can elevate on his jump shots, so I anticipate him (eventually) getting to play.”

Besides Mangrum, the only other recruits to have verbaled to UNT are a pair of JUCO players from Mineral Area (Mo.) Community College: Jonathan Jackson, a 6-foot-8 forward from Portland, Ore.; and Curtis Mjuse, a 6-10 center out of Vashon High in St. Louis.

Mineral finished 21-10 last season and was ranked No. 19 in the preseason NJCAA Division I poll.