It appears unfathomable, actually.
Bartlett’s Conrad Luczynski stands 7-foot-3, weighs 250 kilos and has continued to enhance his sport and athleticism over the previous 18 to 24 months.
Even so, the proficient middle continued to attend this spring for the Division I scholarship provide he hoped would assist him attain his aim.
“This kid wants to play in the NBA,” Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith mentioned.
With adjustments on the earth, adjustments within the sport and adjustments in recruiting, the faculty a part of the equation simply hasn’t occurred for Luczynski.
Yet.
His highschool coach stays assured it’ll.
That’s as a result of the 6-9 Wolfsmith, who refers to Luczynski as “The Polish Hammer,” is aware of full effectively the robust work ethic his participant has developed since shedding his sophomore season to the pandemic.
“I told him, ‘You’re looking to find a path for you,’” Wolfsmith mentioned. “Conrad has leaned on lots of people, from his mother and father to our teaching workers, and this spring he joined the Illinois Wolves run by Mike Mullins.
“It’s kind of brought everything in focus.”
This week, Luczynski determined his path will embody going to a prep college — Link Year Prep in Branson, Missouri — for a nine-month postgraduate yr that can permit him to develop his sport, thoughts and physique even additional.
Luczynski received’t flip 18 till June.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people and it looks like a good fit,” Luczynski mentioned. “The coach (Rodney Perry) there believes in me and likes my sport. He thinks I can go so far as I dream of going.
“It just depends on how much work I put in, and that’s what I plan to do.”
He has completed it earlier than.
Luczynski mentioned he reached 270 within the yr he misplaced to the pandemic earlier than getting again to work for the shortened season in Illinois as a junior.
“I just kept eating,” Luczynski mentioned of the undesirable sabbatical.
He pared down for that shortened junior season, truly reaching 230, earlier than placing some weight again on.
As a senior, he averaged 18.5 factors, 12.8 rebounds, 4.3 blocked photographs and three.3 assists and put up a number of triple-double video games for the Hawks.
He was named third staff all-state by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and second staff all-state by the Champaign News-Gazette.
“I’ve been told it will give me more time for my body to mature and put on some more muscle,” Luczynski mentioned of prep college. “No one even knows if I’m done growing.”
His dad, Bart, is 6-6 and his mom, Agnieszka, is 5-9.
It additionally will assist him develop his general sport, particularly with basketball’s emphasis now on gamers extending their vary and massive males being much less inclined to stay planted near the basket.
“I’ve dealt with coaches recruiting kids for Division I, II and III along with NAIA, but I’ve never had a player go the prep school route,” Wolfsmith mentioned.
It’s why he was pleased to see Luczynski be part of the Wolves.
“Mike runs a great program and looks out for his kids,” Wolfsmith mentioned. “With so many children already in school using the NCAA switch portal, I feel you’re going to see increasingly more highschool children select a prep college.
“Conrad looked at several. I told him it will allow him to ‘work on your game, work on your grades and work on your body.’”
Wolfsmith mentioned Luczynski made nice strides final season entering into higher form, which allowed him to maneuver up and down the ground and infrequently take a break except the rating grew to become lopsided.
“I think a lot of people were surprised at how well he could move north and south,” Wolfsmith mentioned. “I’m proud of all the work he’s put in. He’s one of the most coachable, unselfish and humble guys out there.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com