When Kevin Janowski showed up his freshman year, New Egypt High School boys basketball coach Jay Corby knew he had a special player in the 6-foot-8 post player. Through the years, Janowski has been a pivotal ingredient to the success of the program.
“He’s been a very important player in this program,” Corby said. “He came in as a freshman and he was thrown into the fire. He handled himself well. He has shown a lot of growth through the years. We still feel he can get better. He hasn’t reached his full potential yet. There are still areas where his game can grow.”
In a win over South River, Janowski became the only player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Janowski scored a game-high 27 points in the 73-40 romp. It was his 25th point in the game that helped him reach the milestone.
Janowski took a feed from teammate Desmond Hubert and swished a 15-foot jump-shot early in the fourth quarter for his 1,000th point. Corby said it was Janowski’s determination to become a complete player that has led to a number of college suitors showing up at games.
“When he first got here, he was just a tall kid and now he has turned himself into a very good basketball player,” Corby said. “He has worked hard during the regular season and in the off season to polish different areas of his game. His work ethic is a good example for the younger guys here at school to follow.”
Janowski, who is a solid player on the block, has gone to great length to improve his perimeter game. He is averaging 18 points and nine rebounds per contest. The big man is a good outside shooter, converting on 40 percent of his attempts from three-point range. Janowski has connected on 25 treys so far this season. In addition, he shoots a blistering 65 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line.
“He has a soft touch for a big man.” Corby said. “He has worked tirelessly on becoming the best perimeter shooter he can be. He used to play with his back to the basket. Now we have him out on the wings at times, where his perimeter shot really helps us and opens up the middle.”
A prime example of his deft outside shooting came in a dramatic 39-36 win over Steinert. With the game tied at 36 and less than two seconds remaining, New Egypt called timeout and Corby diagramed a play to get Janowski the ball. Hubert chucked a pass from three-quarter court into the hands of Janowski, who was positioned just beyond the three-point arc.
Janowski caught the pass, turned and swished a fade-away jumper at the buzzer for the final margin of victory.
“He is a confident player,” Corby said. “You could see when he let it go that the ball was going in. He wanted to take the shot in that game.”
New Egypt currently sports a 12-5 record and has secured a spot in the NJSIAA Group I playoffs. The Warriors are 6-1 in the Burlington County Athletic Conference’s Freedom Division, and still have a chance at sharing the divisional crown with Palmyra.
“He is a big part of how well we do in the postseason,” Corby said. “We’ll look to get him the ball whenever we can. He has been there before and knows what to expect.”