The Davidson basketball dream David Czerapowicz is now living began, in many ways, during a trip to see his older brother, Chris, and the Wildcats play in a two-day tournament at New York's Madison Square Garden early in the 2010-11 season.
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Chris was then a freshman on coach Bob McKillop's team, and David, who is eight years younger, was blown away by his first real glimpse of major college basketball. It was unlike anything he'd seen growing up in Gothenburg, Sweden, and the fact his own brother was part of it sent his interest to another level.
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"I just thought it was really cool," says David. "It kind of felt like he was in the NBA when I was little. I was his biggest fan, so everything impressed me with him. I never would know if he had a bad game. I'd only see the good things he did."
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David is now, himself, a freshman playing for McKillop's 30th Davidson team, and he's proud to carry on the Czerapowicz name some 4,300 miles from home. McKillop has coached brothers before, including his own sons, Matt and Brendan, who graduated in '06 and '11, respectively, along with Landry ('00) and Logan Kosmalski ('05) and Will ('12) and Rusty Reigel ('18).
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For McKillop, having a second member of a family suit up for him both affirms the older brother's positive experience and strengthens the program as a whole.
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"It lengthens, augments and increases the relationship with that family and further adds that family into our Davidson culture," says McKillop. "It moves it from a program to a culture. It assists in that process. You're transcending years. You continue through this legacy. You continue the process of building our culture."
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Chris Czerapowicz played for the Wildcats from 2010-14 and is in the program's 50-member 1,000-point scoring club with 1,004 points. He's played professionally overseas since graduating and now plays for Nizhny Novgorod in Russia's VTB League. Known for his outside shooting ability, he started 74 games in his college career – including all 67 his final two years – and helped Davidson to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2012 and 2013. David, a 6-foot-3 guard, is smaller than his brother, who at 6-7, played mostly in a small forward role.
David, top, and Chris Czerapowicz
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"I'd say he's more built than I was at that age, which is one of the things he uses well when he plays," says Chris. "He's got a more mature game than I did, reads the game well and can handle the ball better. He's also more of a combo guard. We're both shooters, but Dave has better range than I did and probably a more consistent shot, even if I don't like to admit that."
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But David is quick to credit his older brother – Chris is the oldest of the four Czerapowicz children, followed by Jennifer, David and Eddie – for helping him develop his skills. When he was young and not yet strong enough to shoot on a 10-foot goal, David shot on a lower rim that Chris installed below his.
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"So when he was out playing, I was always out playing," says David.
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When Chris played for Davidson, David often stayed up late with the rest of the family to watch the games on internet streams. Summer and winter vacation time was spent in Massachusetts with family, and those trips often also included visits to Davidson. Those trips to campus proved only to intensify David's desire to play for the Wildcats, and over time, he made a name for himself by playing on national teams in Sweden. Eventually, he became a recruiting target for the program he loved, and it wasn't a hard sell for McKillop to David, who already knew most of the Wildcats' staff, including director of operations Will Thoni, his brother's former roommate.
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McKillop says he "believes in genes," and David was a natural fit.
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"I think he handles the ball very well, I think he shoots the ball incredibly well," says McKillop. "We're very pleased with his assimilation to our program."
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As one of six international players on the 2018-19 team, David is adjusting to the American college game, most notably with how traveling and illegal screens are called and the overall athleticism and playing style of opposing guards. But he had a good idea what he was getting into. Having been around his brother and also the program, David says he was able to get "a little" head start.
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"It made it a lot easier for me to adjust, I'd say," he says. "I knew most of what I was expecting. But there's still a lot of details I was never able to pick up on when I was little, that I now realize in practice. Coach is really about details and wants things to be perfect. So things like catching the ball one step lower or higher can make a huge difference in this offense. Things like that I've had to get used to."
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Through 10 games, Czerapowicz is playing 9.9 minutes per game in a crowded backcourt. He scored a season-high eight points against Northeastern Nov. 18, and McKillop just wants to see continued progress from the young man who is similar in demeanor to his older brother.
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"He's quiet but joyful," says McKillop. "Very hard on himself. Really incredible work ethic, insatiable work ethic, just like Chris. Wants to be great, is willing to work to be great."
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David is wearing No. 53, flipping the digits on his brother's No. 35 Davidson uniform. And he's trying to make the most of every opportunity he gets on a team that features two guards – Jon Axel Gudmundsson and Kellan Grady – who are scoring close to 20 points per game.
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With David now wearing red and black, it's his older brother's turn to watch Davidson from afar. What does Chris think folks should know about David?
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"He's kind and cares a ton about the people around him," says Chris, "unless you're competing with him in something. He's very stubborn and hates to lose, so in those circumstances, he can really get under your skin. Also, he's terrible at video games, so if you want to beat him in something, that's the route you should take. Steer clear of ping pong. Unfortunately, he's the best Czerapowicz when it comes to that."Â
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He's not bad at basketball, either.
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