‘A different mindset’ for Kazanecki
Stagg graduate relished opportunity to face pair of Division I opponents with St. Ambrose
Through three years at St. Ambrose, Stagg graduate Tom Kazanecki had logged a schedule and built a resume that left his legendary college coach gushing.
Ray Shovlain has shepherded a ton of basketball players in his 38 years with the Bees. So, when he said Kazanecki is “one of the greatest student-athletes we’ve ever had,” that’s a pretty strong statement.
“He is a great example of what we want other players to do,” Shovlain said. “He has great grades in a major that is brutally challenging. He is developing as a player. He’s the leader in community service.
“When Tom goes on the bus, he’s either studying on the way to the game or studying on the ride home.”
Kazanecki, a physical therapy major who has a GPA just shy of a perfect 4.0, won the CCAC’s Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award for the 2018-2019 season.
He has volunteered with the Tim Tebow Foundation’s Night to Shine and at the school’s Bee the Difference Day. He also has tutored biology and chemistry.
And if that schedule doesn’t sound busy enough, he’s also a starter for the men’s basketball team. The Bees, who are off to a 3-0 start against NAIA competition, experienced a wild weekend of facing two NCAA Division I opponents.
Kazanecki, a 6-foot-6 forward, also has a spot among the program’s all-time leaders in his sights. It’s a category — 3-point shooting
percentage — that might surprise some people, too.
Granted, Kazanecki doesn’t take a bunch of 3-pointers, but when he does, good things have been happening. He has converted 42 percent (34 for 81), and if he keeps up that pace this season and gets to the minimum of 100 career attempts, he would rank fourth at the Davenport, Iowa school.
For those who remember him as an inside force in high school, that surely qualifies as an eye-opener.
“This is something new when I came to college,” he said. “I figured it was something I could add to my game. I could always shoot a little bit but not like this.”
He has developed the confidence thanks in part to practice sessions that involve taking 400-500 shots from 3-point range.
“He’s exceptional from the outside for a kid who is 6-6,” Shovlain said. “He has a really nice release. And he is still able to score from the inside. He’s still crafty around the basket.”
Shovlain, who entered the season with 673 career victories, had seemingly seen it all. But he said his team has gone through a weird run during a whirlwind season often jumbled by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Bees beat East-West University on Halloween but didn’t play their next game until after Thanksgiving when they lost 98-53 at Division I Northern Iowa. Two days later, they lost 97-53 to Division I Drake.
Both games, televised on ESPN+, were scheduled at the last minute. Kazanecki said he appreciated the chance to go up against the strong competition.
“They weren’t taller than I was, but they were all about 30 pounds heavier,” he said. “I came to Ambrose to get my degree and also play basketball because that’s what I enjoy.
“But if I had gone to one of those mid-majors, I probably would have had a different mindset — try to get bigger, faster, stronger and focus on basketball maybe more than I would on my academics and career stuff.”
It appears Kazanecki, who is considering the possibility of entering the military after college, made the right choice.
Just ask his coach.