With only a glance at the numbers, you can see a clear and significant improvement in the play of men's basketball forward Alex Orchowski from his junior season to his senior campaign.
After transferring to Tufts following two years at Div. I Lafayette, Orchowski put up modest numbers as a junior starter for the Jumbos, averaging nine points and seven rebounds per game. But this season, Orchowski has increased his output in nearly every statistical category and leads the Jumbos in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocks — an indication of his proficiency in all facets of the game.
According to men's basketball head coach Bob Sheldon, Orchowski's dramatic statistical improvement should be attributed to a change in mentality following his junior season.
"We met with him at the end of the season and told him that we knew he could do more for us," Sheldon said. "We told him, ‘this is your last chance to play.' Just go out there and do what we ask you to do and do it as much as you can. Don't hold anything back."
In his first season with the Jumbos, Orchowski was an important contributor for an emerging Tufts team that went 13−12 overall and 4−5 in the NESCAC. But at times, he seemed unable to outplay opponents in the way that Sheldon expected him to, especially considering his Div. I experience, six−foot−five frame, elite athleticism and array of post moves. Instead, he often seemed hesitant on the court, fearful of upsetting the equilibrium of a team that he had just become a part of.
"Last year, I think I was still getting acclimated and trying to find my place on the team," Orchowski said. "I think I was a little too passive. This year, I started a little more aggressively at the beginning of the year. I think that helped me out overall."
One sign of Orchowski's increased boldness in the post is a greater willingness to find and take advantage of open looks. Last season, Orchowski averaged 7.2 field goal attempts per game, but he has increased that mark by nearly a shot per game this year. At the same time, Orchowki's shooting percentage from the field has also improved — from .541 in 2010−2011 to .618 this season — good for fourth in the NESCAC.
"I do try to look for my shot a little more this season," Orchowski said. "But you also don't want to worry completely about getting your shots because that's something that doesn't help the team out all the time. You want to make sure you are taking good shots."
Others have noticed Orchowski's development over the course of nearly two seasons at Tufts as well. Sophomore point guard KwameFirempong, who leads the Jumbos with 3.4 assists per game, has counted on the senior forward to loosen up opposing defenses with his ability to consistently produce in and around the paint.
"Basketball is definitely an inside−out game," Firempong said. "You go inside first to get higher quality looks to open up your outside game. It's definitely important for a big man to shoot a high percentage from the floor because it forces defenses to collapse."
All season, Orchowski and junior forward Scott Anderson have combined to form one of the most dynamic front lines in the conference. Together, Orchowski and Anderson are averaging 25.3 points and 14.9 rebounds per game, and both rank in the top 15 in scoring and top 10 in rebounding in the NESCAC. Although Sheldon considers Anderson to be more of a power forward and Orchowski a center, the players possess similar skill sets on the offensive end of the floor.
"Both Alex and Scott can shoot the ball very well for big men," Firempong said. "We get the ball down low to Alex more, and Scott is able to hit him on high−lows and off the elbow. They pass the ball to each other and complement each other very, very well."
"I think Scott and I play pretty similar, and each one of us knows what we need to do for the other one to be successful," Orchowski added. "So whenever we get the chance, we look for each other down low. I think we just do a good job playing off of each other when we're out there."
Recruited by Sheldon and assistant coach Matt Malone out of high school, Orchowski was considering Tufts until he received a late offer from Lafayette to join the team as a preferred walk−on. But in two seasons with the Leopards, Orchowski struggled to find playing time on a roster filled with recruited scholarship players and saw only 32 minutes of action his entire sophomore season. Unhappy and actively looking to transfer to a program where he would receive more opportunities, Orchowski remembered a phone conversation that he had with the Tufts coaches following his initial decision to attend Lafayette out of high school.
"When I called Coach Sheldon and told him that I wasn't going to come to Tufts, he said that if I ever decided that I wanted to leave Lafayette that I was welcome to come back to Tufts and play there," Orchowski said.
Since he arrived on the Hill, Orchowski has surprisingly stayed out of the spotlight despite his play on the court. An old−school player who favors fundamentals over flash, Orchowski has impressed Sheldon with his strong work ethic and unyielding desire to play the game the right way.
"Alex Orchowski is a man," Sheldon said. "He's a man because of the way he plays. He goes out and rebounds and does all the dirty work. He sets great picks, he hedges and he's really tough out there. He's usually undersized, but he's just so athletic and so tough that... he plays like a man."
Although he is now one of the quieter players on the men's basketball team, there was a time when Orchowski sought the spotlight. In high school, Orchowski, along with a friend, formed an amateur rap group called Fro and AO.
"We put out an album [that] was pretty terrible," said Orchowski, with a laugh. "Coach Sheldon got his hands [on it], and I've never heard the end since. I'm pretty lucky it hasn't gotten online yet. Fortunately, it's not very popular, it hasn't gotten big yet."
Orchowski, along with forward James Long, center Peter Saba and guard Amauris Quezada, make up an influential senior class that has completely changed the culture of Tufts basketball over their four seasons in Medford. Unlike the other seniors, though, Orchowski tends to lead by example rather than with words.
"He's one of the first ones to practice every day, and he goes hard in every single thing he does," Sheldon said. "If we're doing layups just to warm up, he's going full speed. I think he even stretches full speed. He just does everything 100 percent. Every single thing he does on the court, he goes 100 percent."
"I don't really [consider] myself as a very vocal leader," Orchowski added. "But the way I would hope to lead is by example. I hope some of the guys have taken in some of the things I've done."
