Column: After accepting job in finance, Geneva's Mitch Mascari gets Drake to NCAA tourney instead. ‘A tough call.'

Chicago Tribune

13-03-2025

Geneva alum Mitch Mascari had it all last spring or so it seemed.
A 6-foot-5 guard and 3-point shooter extraordinaire, Mascari completed five years at Northwest Missouri State. It was the premier NCAA Division II program over the past decade, winning four national titles under coach Ben McCollum.
Mascari played on four NCAA Tournament qualifiers, including back-to-back champs in 2021 and 2022 while earning a degree in financial management and his MBA. The real world beckoned, so he accepted a job in asset management for a Wheaton firm, starting in June.
What more could he ask for?
Turns out, there was one thing. Due to the pandemic, Mascari had another season of eligibility,
'Like many high school players, I always thought I was good enough to play Division I,' Mascari said. 'I received some D-I looks but no offers.'
Northwest Missouri State didn't disappoint, either.
'We had pretty wild talent,' Mascari said. 'One guy, Trevor Hudgins, went on and played two years with the Houston Rockets and is still playing professionally. Another transferred to Creighton and was all-Big West the first year.
'And my redshirt year, we played Duke and only lost by six points.'
After 15 years of leading the Bearcats, McCollum — 'Coach Mac' as Mascari and his teammates refer to him — was also wondering how his act would play in Division I.
When the Drake job opened, McCollum applied for it. He then received the offer to coach at the Des Moines school in his native Iowa.
Needing to rework the roster, McCollum offered the Division I carrot to four of his Northwest Missouri State players, including Mascari.
'It was a tough call,' Mascari said. 'It was weird having to tell my boss I'm not coming because it was a good job. But there was always the possibility of us succeeding at D-I.'
The competitor in him won out.
So, too, did Drake.
All four Bearcat players made the move and started the whole season. Drake won its first 12 games and took the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title, then gained the conference's NCAA Tournament berth by winning the postseason tournament final 63-48 over Bradley.
Geneva coach Scott Hennig, who was an assistant under Phil Ralston when Mascari was promoted to the varsity as a sophomore, said the youngster could always shoot.
'Even as a freshman, we knew he could shoot,' Hennig said. 'We had a lot of gym rats led by the likes of Nate Navigato, who went on to a great career at Toledo. Mitch followed suit.'
Practice was the key, according to Mascari, who shot 44% (77 of 177) on 3-pointers as a senior at Geneva and 47% (56 of 120) and 48% (82 of 171) his last two years at Northwest Missouri State.
He's averaging 9.8 points and shooting 41% (86 of 210) for Drake (30-3).
'When it comes down to it, it's just repetition,' Mascari said. 'When Ralston brought me up to varsity, I was a skinny kid, probably 6-3, but I was a twig.'
He said his parents would drop him off at the Geneva Park District's Pershing Rec Center on Kaneville Road and he would shoot for hours on one of its two courts.
He has filled out to 200 pounds.
'He has an elite skill in that he can shoot it very well and from very deep,' Hennig said. 'He fits the game today, being a bigger kid who can shoot and stretch the floor.
'He's hard to guard, especially if you have guys around him who can drive. They benefit each other.'
Drake learns its destination for the first round of the NCAA Tournament during Sunday's selection show. Pairings are announced at 5 p.m. on CBS.
Hennig has ordered a Drake jersey with Mascari's name and No. 22 on it, hoping the first round is within driving distance so he can wear it to the game.
'At first, I wanted to go to the coolest city possible, but that doesn't matter,' Mascari said. 'It's not like we're going to see much of it anyway. Hopefully, a lot of our fans can get there.
'As a player, you don't want to win any more than you do in D-II, but the national recognition in D-I is a bit of a change. It's easier for people to keep tabs on you.'
Could there be another next level?
'I'm taking the season as it goes,' Mascari said. 'If there's a good opportunity, I'll handle it.
'I don't want to distract myself with it right now.'
Wisely done.
Originally Published: March 13, 2025 at 11:38 AM CDT