Libertyville forward Bryce Wegrzyn made a bold statement in his varsity debut last season.
A sophomore at the time, Wegrzyn had 31 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots in the Wildcats’ opener against Antioch.
“We were shocked but not surprised,” Libertyville coach Brian Zyrkowski said.
Libertyville senior point guard Liam Hanson agreed that Wegrzyn’s first game was eye-opening.
“The only thing I was surprised at was how fast it happened,” Hanson said. “His varsity debut last year is nearly unheard of.”
The 6-foot-8, 195-pound Wegrzyn had anticipated more of a growth process as he adjusted to the speed and physicality of the varsity level.
“I don’t think I was the best player on the freshman team,” he said. “I couldn’t shoot really well, but I was just big. I was still around 6-3 or 6-4, so it was easy for me on the freshman level since there wasn’t a lot of tall kids.
“Playing on the sophomore team was a different level, moving up midway through the season. It was a lot quicker and more physical and helped me improve.”
It didn’t take Wegrzyn long to realize how he could make his mark for the Wildcats, who went 10-19 last season. He averaged 16.0 points and 9.0 rebounds and was named All-North Suburban Conference.
“Most of my points were off rebounds,” Wegrzyn said. “So once I kept scoring that way, I figured out, as a big man, that’s what I needed to do in order to play at this level.”
Wegrzyn started fast again this season. He had 26 points and 11 rebounds in the Wildcats’ season-opening win against Prospect on Monday and had 19 points and eight rebounds in their win against Antioch on Wednesday.
“I’m excited for the season,” Wegrzyn said. “As a team, we’ve been looking good and jelled together and got athleticism and talent.
“I’m also excited to show what I can do this year. Last year was a good year, but this is my year to really jump forward as a basketball player.”
Zyrkowski said Wegrzyn has that opportunity.
“His shooting has improved dramatically, and so has his ballhandling,” Zyrkowski said. “He’s now able to go both directions. Last year, he would go right. He’s comfortable going both directions, and his awareness and IQ continue to improve. We’re expecting him to step it up more, but he’s accepted that challenge.”
Wegrzyn said he realized he had to become more versatile.
“Last year, I felt I played to my strengths — like my right-hand post hook — and stuck to those things until a defense could stop it,” he said. “Over this spring and summer, I was able to work on being able to get to my left hand. Last year, teams figured out that I could only go right, but now I can go both ways.”
Hanson said Wegrzyn puts in the work to get better.
“Bryce is really good at using his size to score over people, and his athleticism allows him to get to the rim easier,” Hanson said. “It’s great to see his success. It’s a testament to his work ethic. He’s always in the gym working on his weaknesses. It’s nice to have a go-to guy like him you can really rely on.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
