6-10 exchange student helps tall Acorns dominate
By JAWARA HARRISON
Pinnacle Staff Writer
When Live Oak Acorns coach Bret Paolucci is asked about the
dominance of his new center, he says he does not want to focus on
one person.
When Live Oak Acorns coach Bret Paolucci is asked about the dominance of his new center, he says he does not want to focus on one person.
It’s difficult, however, to ignore Maciek Bratkowski.
It’s hard not to project ahead when Bratkowski gets the ball in the post, executes precise footwork and floats a soft shot. One can see that his basketball savvy will carry the Acorns deep into the playoffs.
No matter how many times Paolucci says the Acorns are a machine and Bratkowski is just a cog, one watches in amazement as the 6-10 Bratkowski steals the show by slapping away a shot on defense and finishing the fastbreak on the other end.
The more Paolucci says to focus the team, which is the right thing to do, the more Bratkowski sticks out.
In only his second year on U.S soil and his first draped in Acorns’ green and gold, Bratkowski, a foreign exchange student from Poland, is the biggest force behind Live Oak’s 12-2 start. After 14 games, Bratkowski is second on the team in scoring at 10.2 points per game, and field goals, with 58, and is still getting accustomed to the American style of play.
“It’s much faster over here,” said Bratkowski, a senior. “The players are much quicker.”
In Bratkowski’s homeland the coaches and players focus on the fundamentals of basketball. They practice footwork, moves in the post and try to perfect the short jumper.
In contrast, American players, most of whom have honed their skills on the blacktop in pick-up games, work on dunks and three pointers.
“I started very young,” Bratkowski said. “My dad always told me, ‘Go play basketball. Go play basketball,’ so I played everyday.”
His dad also enrolled Maciek, pronounced Ma-jik, into some skills camps. While there he met former Maryland Terrapin Jarrod Mustaf.
“He showed me how to do some things,” said Bratkowski. “Mostly low post moves.”
Eventually the kid that was always the tallest in his class began to round into shape. In 2000 the Bratkowski family moved, coincidentally, to Maryland for one year then found a home in Morgan Hill.
After tryouts it didn’t take long for Paolucci to decide that Bratkowski would make the team. The addition of Bratkowski to an already dangerous roster all but wrapped the TCAL crown.
He has already garnered attention from some Division I colleges.
“I’ve gotten a few letters,” said Bratkowski.
That’s in the future and Bratkowski pays attention to the here and now. He is on a mission to help lead his team to a league title and possibly a Central Coast Section banner.
Bratkowski joins a team that boasts a roster with no players under six feet.
“He’s fun to play against in practice,” said Drew Pearson, a 6-9 forward. “Normally I don’t get to play against other people my size during games. It’s fun to dunk over him and talk trash.”
“I like it here,” Bratkowski said. “The people are nice.”
When the competitive Tri County Athletic League starts Jan. 18 against the San Benito Haybalers, Bratkowski might get another, less friendly taste of trash talk.
