Witter’s progress boosted Pirates
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
Bob Schurtz has watched the progress of Austin Witter every step of the way. And this year, he saw everything fall into place.
”Watching the progression was even more impressive than the end result,” said Schurtz, who just finished his fourth season as the West Windsor-Plainsboro South boys basketball coach. “You see that much potential in one player and you keep expecting more. There were games where he would have triple doubles or near triple doubles and I walked away almost feeling like he missed some opportunities. That’s how talented he is.”
Witter put together an impressive senior season in helping the Pirates to a Colonial Valley Conference Colonial Division championship, a Central Jersey Group IV championship, and a berth in the Mercer County Tournament finals.
The 6-foot-8 center had a unique blend of shooting and passing skills, which go together well with an innate ability to block shots.
”He’s able to change games without always having to score or without having to make that blocked shot because of the ways we form our defense,” said Schurtz, whose team finished the season 24-4. “We form our strategies or game plans based on what he is able to do altering shots and scaring the other team away from the rim.”
On the offensive end, Witter averaged 14.9 points per game, as well as 11.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists. He also averaged 6.6 blocked shots per game, where he really made his presence felt.
Austin Witter is the Princeton Packet Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
”I think we all saw it coming,” Witter said of the Pirates’ successful season. “We thought we could get this far. I thought the only thing we were going to do that we didn’t was win the Mercer County Tournament. We still achieved three out of our four goals.”
Witter worked hard to get to the point where has become a Division I prospect. Now he’ll be looking to take that next step.
”My sophomore year I was all outside because I played like a guard,” said Witter, who led the Pirates in three-point field goals this season. “Between sophomore year and now I’ve made my way inside, even though I am still not the perfect inside player, my skills inside have gotten a lot better.
”I want to play Division I basketball in college in a good program and a good school academically. I would like to major in engineering in college so that if basketball doesn’t work out, I still have a degree I can fall back on.”
Schurtz sees Witter as a work still in progress. As well as he played this season, he knows the ceiling is high for a player still growing into his frame.
”He’s only going to continue to improve offensively,” Schurtz said. “He has tremendous skill sets. He shoots the ball well. He handles the ball well for his size. And he passes extremely well. That showed in many games where he had four or five assists.
”The best thing about Austin is that his best basketball is still ahead of him. He’s a senior now. He’s young for his age. He’s still developing physically. He’s going to get stronger. He’s going to be very dangerous in a year or so.”
College coaches see Witter as more of an outside player because of his shooting touch. But he will also bring an ability to defend that a lot of players on the wing might not be used to.
”They’ve told me I’ll be a wing player,” Witter said. “I still have a lot to work on. I need to get stronger. I need to work on my ball-handling. I need to get better driving to the rim. There is still a lot of work to be done.”
He has work to do at the college level, but Witter’s work at the high school level is done. He — along with fellow senior starters Dan Balevski, Chris Johnson and Dan Block — leave the program after its most successful season ever.
”More than anything else, I’m proud for him,” Schurtz said. “I’m proud of the work he has put in. Two years ago, and even last year, he was not this committed. But he has put the work in during the spring, summer and fall trying to improve. He’s not the strongest kid.
”But he lifted weights, he ran sprints, he worked on his endurance running in the off-season. He played the entire off-season, whether it was with us, With Mr. (Greg) Grant over at 94-feet, or with his AAU team. He has put in the hours and I am proud for him that it has paid off.”

