Gonzaga big man Przemek Karnowski is feeling more at home, which is bad news for Zags’ opponents
Przemek Karnowski is 7-feet-1, 288 pounds, and he’s not done growing.
Not in a physical sense. He’s not getting taller. He has dropped some pounds and toned up since arriving from Torun, Poland, three years ago.
Karnowski becomes more settled in Spokane with each passing day. He’s more comfortable with the language, his classes, where to grab some food. He’s blossoming on the basketball court, where he emerged as a force inside last season.
“I was so shy my freshman year,” the junior center said. “It’s way different now. I have to step up and show the young players that they can count on us (upperclassmen). I know how it was to arrive here and get off the plane and go to classes and be confused.
“I know how Domantas (Sabonis) feels. I show him where to eat, introduce him to my friends. I know the English basketball language. I know when coaches say something exactly what it means. I remember my freshman year I didn’t know what to say or how to act. For sure it’s big progress, but I’m still a little nervous about presentations in class.”
It appears the best is yet to come for Karnowski, who averaged 10.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks last season. He’s in the best shape of his life. His weight and body-fat percentage is down. He’s gained strength and mobility
“He’s getting more comfortable in all facets of his life,” coach Mark Few said. “Looking back at some of the pictures from his freshman year, he’s in vastly better shape and showing some of the things he can do.”
Karnowski appeared on Gonzaga’s radar after assistant coach Tommy Lloyd saw him play against Kevin Pangos’ Canadian team at the U-17 world championships in Germany. Lloyd noticed Karnowski had good feet, great hands and a soft touch on his jump hook.
Lloyd expressed interest in Karnowski and told him about Gonzaga. Karnowski’s understanding of English was fine but most of the communication was done via Facebook, texting and email. When other schools called late in the recruiting process, Gonzaga and Lloyd already had invested two years cultivating a relationship with Karnowski.
Karnowski averaged 10.7 minutes and 5.4 points as a freshman, the season in which Kelly Olynyk made a name for himself nationally and playing time for other bigs was scarce. Lloyd said Karnowski “was an unbelievable teammate” and never complained about his minutes.
Karnowski was dominating at times as a sophomore. Some of his best efforts came in GU’s biggest games: 14 points and 10 rebounds versus Arizona; 15 and 10 against Oklahoma State; 15, 9 and 7 blocks against Saint Mary’s; and 19 and 13 at West Virginia.
Coaches believe Karnowski is capable of dominating on a regular basis.
“He’s an entity that just isn’t out there in college basketball,” Few noted.
Said Lloyd: “One of the biggest things he has to battle, maybe all of us have to battle, is himself and that self belief that he is very good,” Lloyd said. “You can’t touch someone with a magic wand and fix that.”
Karnowski acknowledges he can be hard on himself.
“I’m self critical for sure,” he said. “If I make the wrong play or didn’t do my best … I think that’s something I grew up with, part of my culture and I’m working on it.”
Karnowski played a more prominent role on the Polish national team this summer with the absence of Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat. However, Karnowski contracted a throat infection and spent six days in the hospital. He returned to help Poland defeat Germany and former Zag Elias Harris.
The left-handed Karnowski spent most of the offseason working on his conditioning and finishing with his right hand. He hopes to be a better rebounder in traffic.
“Coming here every August or September gets easier and easier,” he said. “I know more people, feel more comfortable,” he said. “We have a lot of talented guys. This year coming back I was super excited.”