Geneva’s Mitch Mascari welcomed the good piece of news.

Early June 15, on one of the hottest days of the year, the senior received his second offer. Mascari and teammate Jack McDonald both received offers from St. Cloud State.

The 6-foot-4 Mascari also has an offer from Quincy University. Playing three games in less than a four-hour span on a muggy afternoon at the Palatine Shootout, Mascari said the news of doubling his scholarship offers was the ideal tonic.

“It definitely helped me stay motivated, definitely since I don’t have many offers,” Mascari said. “It was cool to get the offer.”

After starting every game on varsity the past two seasons, Mascari is aiming to elevate his game for his senior year. He averaged 14 points and five rebounds and shot 46 percent from the 3-point line last season. Mascari said his goal is to become a multidimensional player.

“I’ve really been trying to work on my ballhandling and shooting off the dribble and coming off ball screens,” he said. “A lot of teams know I can shoot off the catch and off screens, so they’ve tried to run me off the 3-point line. I’ve been working on drives and going to the rim.

“I’ve really seen it evolve my game a lot. In the past, when my shot was off, I wouldn’t be able to score as easy, but now if it’s off, I can get to the rim or the foul line or knock down a mid-range shot.”

Mascari, who plays AAU with the Mercury Elite, showed his scoring prowess with 24 points in Geneva’s 88-84 triple-overtime win over St. Charles East on Jan. 19. Geneva coach Scott Hennig noted Mascari’s development since the Vikings’ season-ending loss to Naperville North in a Class 4A regional final.

“I think Mitch’s best basketball is in three years,” Hennig said. “I don’t think he’s going to reach his potential next season. He’s improving every day. I see him coming in next year as one of our leading scorers and our best shooters. His defense has really improved, been a point of motivation and emphasis.”

Besides becoming a better all-around player, Mascari said he plans on using his vast experience on the varsity to help his younger teammates and coaches. The Vikings won 18 games last season and return nearly their entire team next season.

“My role has definitely increased from my sophomore year,” Mascari said. “It’s really helped me become a leader and help to know what is expected from us, so I can help our coaches and get our teammates ready to go and they know the plays.”

Hennig said the Vikings’ size and length will pose problems for opponents next season. The Vikings had a strong showing at Northern Iowa’s team camp, and won four of their five games at the Palatine Shootout. With Mascari, McDonald, 6-7 Nate Santos and 6-4 Josh Preston among a strong group of returnees, the Vikings have the potential to be a 20-win team.

“We have size and a variety of guys who can play a lot of positions,” Hennig said. “We have four guys over 6-4, which helps in taking away some passing lanes, rebounding a bit easier. We have some good size.”