By Kyle Valentine
Ranked as the No. 1 player in New York and sixth nationally for the class of 2026 by 247 Sports, Dylan Mingo is no stranger to success.
Mingo, a 6-foot-5 guard playing for Long Island Lutheran out of Brookville, N.Y.,uses his agility and size to make defenders uncomfortable. He has quick handles and uses his natural skill on defense to execute any move he needs to create scoring or turnover opportunities.
“Elite defender, tough, hardworking, never complains,” Long Island Lutheran head coach John Buck said of Mingo. “He has a nose for the ball and always gets to it before everyone else.”
Although, today was a little different for Mingo. He had been out all year due to a high ankle sprain injury sustained prior to the season and Saturday’s game was his first time back on the court since the injury.
“It feels great,” Mingo said. “Especially being able to come back out at an event like Hoophall, pretty much the basketball capital.”
Mingo is slowly working his way back to 100 percent, and his first game during this year’s Hoophall is just the beginning. During his game against Arizona Compass Prep Saturday afternoon, he saw less playing time than he is used to and had an unusual stat line of three points, one assist and five rebounds in a 59-58 loss. He is still trying to get a feel for the game, especially with a new squad.
“I think as a whole we need more experience together,” Buck said. “They’re happy he’s back and the guy loves basketball, so being out is hard.”
Leading up to the season, Mingo was balling during his prior campaign at Long Island Lutheran and his summer season with EYBL. In 2025, Mingo attended the NBPA Top 100 Camp which is an elite, invitation-only basketball event for top high school players, run by the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). During that camp, Mingo averaged 23.8 points, 6.8 assists, and 6.5 rebounds in four games, earning him the honor of being named the most valuable player in the camp.
This only helped Mingo gain more traction from schools on the collegiate level. With plenty of scholarship offers, he has himself in the spot many dream of, but picking the right school for him has taken time. During his summer season in 2025 with EYBL, he talked with numerous coaches but only a few are nearing his peak. According to 247 Sports, Baylor, Penn State and North Carolina are the “warmest schools” for Mingo.
With Penn State on his radar, Mingo has the chance to reunite on the court with his older brother Kayden Mingo, who is a freshman on the Nittany Lions men’s basketball team. The elder Mingo is currently averaging 14.9 points, 4.5 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game in his first year with the program.
The pair played in last year’s Hoophall Classic, showcasing their brotherly connection on the court as they beat Arizona Compass Prep by a final score of 63-57. Dylan finished that game with 15 points and eight boards.
The possibility is up in the air whether this reunion will happen. Kayden has been texting and calling his brother to try to chase their dreams together, but Dylan also has a former teammate, now Philadelphia 76ers guard V. J. Edgecombe in his ear about playing at Baylor, Edgecombe’s former college school. Fans eager to learn which school Mingo is leaning towards will have to wait until Thursday, Jan 22.
“They all have good things to say, and they’re great schools,” Mingo said. “But somewhere I feel comfortable even when I wasn’t playing basketball, trusting the coach.”
Mingo and the Crusaders have another game Sunday Jan. 18 at 5:30 p.m., versus Montverde Academy. Mingo looks to ease back into the swing of things and build team chemistry with LuHi’s last Hoophall game of 2026.
Photo by Kaleb Knowles/The Student