By SAM LANCE
FISHERS, IN — One of the biggest eye catchers from Chipotle Nationals in early April was the play of class of 2026 four-star guard Mariano Manciel.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard out of Wasatch Academy had a great weekend shooting the ball and was a pest defensively. Manciel averaged 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.5 steals while shooting 8-of-17 (47.1%) from 3-point range.
“Overall, he had a lot to do with the development of this team and the growth,” Wasatch head coach Paul Peterson told ZAGSBLOG. “Because he emerged. Everybody needs to take notice. He should have 10+ offers. I don’t know why people are slow. He’s proving himself against some of the top competition that he’s big time.
“And he’s young,” Peterson continued. “He’s only 16 years old. So I can only imagine what he’s going to be like when his body gets a little bit bigger. His dad is like 6-foot-6, so he might grow a little more. His shot is beautiful and he can already guard at a high level. I can just imagine what he’s going to be like when his body gets better. So he needs to be watched out for.”
Wasatch Academy picks up a top-10 win over CIA Bella Vista! Mariano Manciel was the steady force, impacting the game in a variety of ways
#EYBLScholastic
-18 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl@MancielManu | @WATigersBB pic.twitter.com/fI926vSMEy
— League Ready (@LeagueRDY) February 23, 2025
Manciel describes himself as a 3-and-D combo guard who can knock down shots from the outside.
“I can also play off the dribble a lot, which people haven’t really seen yet,” Manciel said. “But I’m starting to put the ball on the floor and show people what I can really do. Play off the dribble, score off the dribble, playmake. And then overall I just love defense. So I love picking up full court, staying in front, getting steals and getting blocks.”
Pemberton will be playing with Vegas Elite at the first EYBL Session in Mesa, Arizona. This summer he’ll be working on making moves getting to the rim and finishing with easy dunks and layups.
Recruitment wise, Manciel has just two offers: Detroit Mercy and San Jose State. He hasn’t taken any visits so far in the process, but he will look to do so soon.
“I’m going to try and talk to my parents and some of the coaches and see if I can get on some visits this summer and maybe the start of my senior year too,” Manciel said. “Detroit Mercy is right down the street from my house so I’ll probably try to take an unofficial or official visit there. So far that’s all I really had in mind.”
Here’s Manciel’s breakdown of his two offers:
Detroit Mercy: “I’m Detroit born and raised. So one thing about Detroit Mercy, it’s really right down the street from my house. I would want to put on for my city really. They have a good staff over there. I have a lot of my guys already on the roster. So that school, it’s a great school.”
Manciel grew up playing with Detroit Mercy junior guard Orlando Lovejoy. “He’s like a big brother to me for sure.”
San Jose State: “I haven’t really talked to them much after they offered me. But I did some diving on the campus and the program overall and the coaching staff. They looked like they had some nice facilities, pretty good basketball system. It’s pretty cool over there.”
Manciel said being able to play from day one will be a key factor in his decision.
“If a school tells me I can come in and play 20 minutes and be a scorer, a defender — whatever they want — I just want to come in and make an impact.”
The guard has quite the family history in hoops. His father, Mike Manciel, played four seasons at Central Michigan before going on to play professional basketball in South America and Europe. His brother, Mak Manciel, spent the past two seasons at Detroit Mercy but is now in the transfer portal looking for a new home.
Manciel is ranked the No. 126 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports. A fun fact about the guard is his passion for cutting hair. He’s a beast with the clippers and gets everyone on his team “right.”
Photo via SC Next.
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