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Quick change of seasons doesn't faze Mounds View's Kaczynski

By Star Tribune, 12/16/14, 6:11PM CST

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Never in his three-year varsity career has Mounds View’s Ryan Kaczynski so quickly transitioned from football field to basketball court.


Ryan Kaczynski, Mounds View basketball and football

Never in his three-year varsity career has Mounds View’s Ryan Kaczynski so quickly transitioned from football field to basketball court.

A first-team All-Metro selection at tight end, Kaczynski helped the Mustangs reach the Class 6A state tournament. Though saddened to remove his shoulder pads after a season-ending Thursday loss, he knew putting on shorts and sneakers four days later meant showcasing new skills.

Coaches asked Kaczynski, a senior forward, to retool his game despite leading the Mustangs in scoring last year with an average of 22.2 points per game. Kaczynski obliged, moving his 6-4, 196-pound body further from the basket and sharpening his perimeter shooting.

Through the first five games this season, Kaczynski leads the team in scoring (21.4 points per game) and assists (3.2). He also averages 6.2 rebounds and shoots 59 percent from the field.

Kaczynski spoke with Star Tribune reporter David La Vaque about the quick transition between sports, a busy summer workout schedule and how the Mustangs will measure success this winter.

 

Q: What sort of momentum could you take from a great football season into basketball?

A: Winning the Suburban East Conference championship and getting to the state tournament was huge for me and the other guys who play both football and basketball. I think we can really use that as motivation. We got a little taste of the state tournament, and we would have liked to go farther. I think that makes us that much hungrier for the same kind of success in basketball.

 

Q: The football season went longer this year than any year since you’ve played varsity basketball, so there was less transition time between seasons. How were you feeling?

A: The first week of basketball was definitely rough. But it was a good problem to have and our basketball coaches took it easy on me as much as they could. The legs were a little sore but I was able to work through it.

 

Q: Would you have preferred more time to relax or were you looking forward to jumping into a new season?

A: A little of both. It would have been nice to have a week off. But at the same time, it’s nice after a tough loss and tough end to the football season to forget about it and move on. We get to start fresh and that’s fun.

 

Q: How did you find time, as such a solid two-sport athlete, for making such improvements to your basketball game?

A: I played AAU basketball with the Minnesota Fury and the coaches did a great job working with me every day. So I was able to put in a lot of time in the gym to work on my ball handling and perimeter shooting. And it was really helpful that the football players lifted weights in the morning at Mounds View four days per week in the summer. Since I was already at the school, I was able to go to the gym and get some shots up.

 

Q: What are some of the challenges you’re facing this year in terms of your role?

A: Last year I was able to lean on some other guys for scoring. This year I still have great teammates around me but I don’t have quite the scoring support I had last year. So I know for the team to be successful, I have to expand my role and play on the perimeter even more.

 

Q: Last year the team went 22-6. It sounds like this team might be a little different but do you expect to be a better team by the end of the year?

A: The 22-win total is going to be tough to match. I’m not saying we can’t but that’s a high bar. We’ve struggled early against teams in the conference but we have a lot of new guys getting their first varsity experience. I think that by the end of the year we can really make a run. We might be overlooked a little bit because of our record but we’ll be a very tough out in the playoffs.

DAVID LA VAQUE

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