Zac DiSalvo from Greece-Athena

It is not uncommon for a player to receive high praise from their coach. Coaches, as well as parents and family members, like to see their players do well and be recognized for their accomplishments. But what AAU coach Kevin LeGrett had to say about Zac DiSalvo stood out from the norm.

LeGrett wrote that DiSalvo was the “hardest worker with (the) biggest heart I have ever coached in my eight years of competitive AAU…heart and skill is D1.” If you have ever seen DiSalvo’s passionate play, you can see why LeGrett feels this way. Going up against much larger players in the paint, including future D1 player Thomas Bryant from Bishop Kearney, Zac makes them work harder than most other high school players to score or to even get positioning. “I take a great amount of pride in my defense. Every game I want to be the guy to guard the other team’s best player,” DiSalvo said.

When asked what separates him from other high school players, DiSalvo responded that “no one…yes I mean no one…could ever match my heart and passion for the game. As well as my work ethic…I will push you (the opposing player) and myself to the breaking point.” Along with his defensive prowess, Zac also has a good three-point shot and is effective at running the Greece-Athena offense.

With such a great work ethic on the court, it is no wonder that Zac excels in the classroom, as well. This past school year, Zac had a 95 GPA and even had a day where he “felt like a celebrity” after hitting the game winning shot against Irondequoit in the Section 5 Class AA tournament.

With two years still left in high school, DiSalvo already has his sights set on college and where he can take his basketball game. He said, “I honestly and truly believe I can play basketball at (the) D1 level. My dream would be to play under Bobby Hurley at the University at Buffalo. I think he’s the type of coach that would give me a chance to prove myself.”

DiSalvo wanted to get the message across that “if you give me a shot, you 100% will not regret it. Because two things can happen…one, I become a starter for you and produce every night…or two, if you decide not to start me, I will push the starters to new limits and that I will make them better.”

We would like to thank Kevin LeGrett and Zac DiSalvo. Good luck to Zac and his Greece-Athena team, as the winter sport season is just around the corner.

Josh Skinner-Staff writer