By Christopher Shaban
EAGLE TIMES SPORTS EDITOR
CLAREMONT — Once a Cardinal, always a Cardinal. Former Stevens basketball player Kaleb Tarczewski dropped in for a visit during the Cardinals summer camp to work on his skills and lend his old teammate a hand.
“He called me to ask if he could use the gym to workout and then asked if he could join us” said the new Cardinals men’s basketball coach.
Tarczewski headed to St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Mass., after his sophomore year at Stevens and then to star at the University of Arizona where he holds the record with the most wins, 110, by any Wildcat. Tarczewski also spent time with the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA-G league before
heading overseas to play professionally with Olimpia Milano in the Italian league.
Kaleb also represented the United States in the Pan American games in 2015 earning a bronze medal.
“Once we got his workouts scheduled Kaleb told me to invite some of the guys to do individual workouts,” Dancosse said. “It was great for these young adults to see someone take something that he is passionate about and commit himself to working to improve his game. His message to the kids… was to stay disciplined, be a good person and remember that your opportunity and choices in life are endless if you commit yourself to being the best version of yourself each and every day.”
“At one point he dunked a ball in practice and I had to tell him to be careful because I was worried the whole structure could come down,” Dancosse saud, “It’s been 14 years since they have felt a 7 footer hanging on the rim.”
This will be Dancosse’s first season as the Cardinal coach and he likes what he is seeing.
“This summer has been great,” he said. “I have had a lot of kids come in and it has been great to get to know them as well as for them to get to know me. Kids are beginning to pick up on some of the things we want to do this winter. Numerous kids have come in for individual workouts on non practice days and seem committed to getting better” said the 2009 Cardinal graduate.
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