Jan 18, 2023 3 min read

Name: Zack Schrockman

School: Burgettstown

Year: Junior

Sport: Basketball

Schrockman’s week: With the Blue Devils needing to rebound after three losses in four games, the point guard answered with a pair of huge games.

To start the week, Schrockman poured in a team-high 23 points in a 73-58 section victory over Bentworth. He then topped that performance with a career-high 26 points on the road against Frazier, helping Burgettstown defeat the Commodores, 75-52.

“We went back to more of a structured system,” said first-year Burgettstown boys basketball coach Bryan Maltony. “We are running more plays but still trying to allow our players to take advantage of stuff that they see. We played our most complete game of the year against Frazier.”

The infusion and understanding of a more structured system come as the Blue Devils fight to remain near the top of the Class 2A Section 4 standings, a far cry from when they went winless in section play last season.

“We weren’t going to have a repeat of last year,” Schrockman said. “It was frustrating losing all those games. We had to come together and believe in one another.”

Burgettstown (4-2, 6-7) fell to first-place Fort Cherry earlier this week, despite Schrockman scoring a team-high 19 points. The Blue Devils have a pivotal game against Chartiers-Houston Friday night.

Having carte blanche:

While structure might equal success for Burgettstown, Maltony isn’t blind to what attributes make up a productive point guard.

“I was a point guard when I played. I told him from day one that you must be a coach on the floor,” Maltony said. “I want him to be around me all the time and try to think how I’m thinking.”

Overthinking turned out to be what Schrockman struggled with during his freshman and sophomore seasons.

“I feel like even last year I had the experience but didn’t have the confidence (in myself),” Schrockman admitted. “I had a good bit of playing time, but I didn’t want to be the one to mess up. I really got myself into a rut.”

He turned to AAU basketball this past season to help rebuild that confidence, which has resulted in half a junior season where he is averaging nearly 17 points per game.

“Ever since the first day Coach Maltony told me I should be in his back pocket,” Schrockman recalled. “I understand that’s what I need to do. I need to be that coach and leader on the floor, making sure I’m always on top of my game.”

Behind the progression of Schrockman, Burgettstown has considerably limited its turnovers – it had over 30 in each of the first three games this season – as Maltony continues to feel the confidence to hand the keys of the offense to the junior.

“He has carte blanche,” Maltony said. “I trust him. He has been efficient. He doesn’t force shots. He takes what is there and distributes the ball well. He really is an asset.”

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