pic credit Nina Sander

Nick Muszynski (211-C-1998, college: Belmont) is a 24 year old 211cm center from Ohio playing his second professional season and second with the Bozic Estriche Knights Kircheim. Last season he split time with Enea Astoria Bydgoszcz (Poland-EBL) averaging 7.2ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.9apg, 1.0bpg, 2FGP: 43.9%, 3FGP: 66.7%, FT: 76.7 and 7.6ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 52.7%, FT: 85.2% with Kirchheim. He began his basketball career with Saint Charles high school and then played 4 years at Belmont (NCAA) playing a total of 124 games and averaging 15/5 in his 4 seasons. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a game against the Fraport Skyliners.

Thanks Nick for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you at the moment?

I am doing well. I am currently in Kirchheim on our off day, and my basketball life is treating me great. We have a strong young team that is very cohesive and off to a strong start.

Your playing your second season with the Kirchheim Knights. Has it became like a new second home after Belmont?

It is certainly becoming that way, although this season is very different from last. Since I came over mid season last year, I never felt as though I was fully acclimated without having a preseason or preparation period. This season I am much more ‘at home’, and having the second half of last season to build on only makes it more comfortable for me on and off the court.

You are living in a very beautiful area in my opinion especially in summer. What have you appreciated most about the area and the organization as a whole?

I love a lot about the area we are in. It is a great blend of city and nature, with great weather and lots of sunshine. Kirchheim is a very tightly knit community, while I am also very close to lots of places to get some fresh air and enjoy the outdoors, and a quick drive from Stuttgart to go to one of Germany’s biggest cities.

After coming in mid season last year, your ready for the next step. I’m sure you have huge goals, but is becoming a dominant big man in the Pro A to much to ask for?

I think that is a very fair thing to ask for. Last year was a major adjustment period both on and off the floor, and having a full offseason to prepare for this year has been very beneficial for me. I think we have a very strong squad this season, and being the best version of myself will help us reach all of the lofty goals we have as a team.

The team has talented guards and bigs, so how far can this team go this season? What is most special about the club?

We have very high expectations for our team this season. We feel as though we can be a strong playoff team with the understanding that once you make it to the top 8, anything can happen. The most special part about this club this year is our continuity from last season. 7 out of our 10 rational players are returners from last season, and the 3 new guys have filled in perfectly. We also have the same coaching staff. That continuity gives us a strong level of understating and trust in one another, which is key for any successful team to have.

What has it been like being teammates with German big man Jonas Niedermanner? He is the definition of a modern big man. What do you enjoy most about his game?

Jonas is a players dream kind of teammate. He is a great athlete with size, and can guard 1 through 5. We start him at the 3 most nights, but he can slide to both 2 and 4 offensively if necessary. He is unselfish and very experienced, and what I enjoy most about his game is his versatility on both ends of the floor. He allows our team to attack opponents in a wide variety of ways.

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 211cm center. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

As a more skilled big man, my play style is becoming less and less comparable in the NBA compared to how it was in the past. I would say any big that plays with the ball in their hands and looks to make plays for others fits that mold. I’d say being left handed and playing both in the low post and as a middle of the floor facilitator, one player I try to take a lot of things from is Sabonis.

You’re a versatile big man. What do you believe is your biggest strength right now?

I’d say my offensive IQ and feel for playing team offense. Coming over from the states, it has taken a bit of an adjustment learning the different schemes and flow to the FIBA game. But in year two, I feel as though I am learning and processing the game at a much higher level as a passer and facilitator for both myself and my teammates.

Is a goal of yours to keep developing a three pointer? Where do you see your three now in the development phase?

Yes, 100%. I shot the ball well from distance early in my college career, but between an ankle surgery and the COVID shutdown I placed my jump shot on the lower end of importance to more focus on being the dominate low post presence my team needed me to be to help us win games. However I have a lot of confidence in my jump shot and put a lot of work into it now, and Coach Igor has really empowered me to let it fly when I am open for them within our offense.

You were an active and strong shot blocker in the NCAA. Where are you now as a defender and where do you still want to go with your defensive game down the road?

I think a lot of my defensive game will grow with repletion and experience. I want to be able to be a vocal and physical leader on the defensive end of the floor, and I defiantly have a lot of work to do to get there. We watch a lot of video as a team and I also watch a lot on my own, and one of my primary focuses is being a quicker and more active help defender. With my length I feel as though by improving there I can help make any defense I am apart of more disruptive and more protective of the paint.

On what areas of your game are you working on most at the moment?

As a post player that doesn’t necessarily qualify as an ‘elite athlete’, one thing I am constantly focusing on is my conditioning. Every off season that is my number one priority, as it is something that doesn’t come to be naturally but rather I must work harder at than others to reach where I want to be. In terms of basketball, I would say my jump shot. Whether that be from 3, from the mid range off a short roll, or from the post on a turnaround, it is something I am always trying to fine tune and something that you can’t get too many reps of!

Last season you began at Enea Astoria Bydgoszcz (Poland-EBL) averaging 7.2ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.9apg, 1.0bpg, 2FGP: 43.9%, 3FGP: 66.7%, FT: 76.7%. What do you remember being your wake up call to being a rookie overseas where you knew that you were very far away from home?

I would say my first time was on my very first day when I went to the grocery store and had 20 or so items on my list and was able to find about 4 of them. I felt very isolated and out of place, and wasn’t really able to ask for help. It was a very humbling experience and something I am very grateful for now as it taught me lots of critical thinking skills and how to persevere when you are frustrated and uncomfortable.

You played at Belmont (NCAA) from 2017-2022 and reached the NCAA tournament as a freshman. You were consistent and averaged 15/5 all 4 years. How did your game grow in this time?

I would say my role changed within the team each year (especially the first 4 years) and I had to learn how to be productive in every season. Whether it was being a positive practice player my redshirt year, to being a key contributor on a team that had 2 1,000 point scorers in their senior season my freshman year, becoming a key of the other team’s scouting report my sophomore season, or really growing into more of a leadership role my junior and senior season, I was constantly having to adjust how much was being asked of me and my role at any given season during my time at Belmont.

You lost 79-77 to Maryland in the NCAA tournament scoring 9 points. What will you always remember from that game?

How special the environment and that event is. Every kid in the states who grows up playing basketball dreams of playing in the NCAA Tournament, and getting to play in that event, win a game in the First Four, and then play a thriller vs Maryland in the round of 64 will always be an experience I cherish (even if it still stings we didn’t win that game!!).

You had so many great games at Belmont and scored over 30 points in wins over Drake and Tennessee State. What was your fondest game there?

The 2019-2020 Ohio Valley Conference championship game vs Murray State my sophomore year. We won on a last second layup by Tyler Scanlon to punch our ticket to the NCAA Tournament that would later get canceled by COVID-19 the following week. That team was incredibly close and probably my favorite team I was a part of during my time at Belmont.

What memories will you always have of Dylan Windler with whom you played 2 seasons with? Did you know then he would reach the NBA?

Dylan was an incredible talent and a great leader for our program. We always knew he was a hidden gem, and saw the talent and work ethic everyday in our facility. I was very fortunate to play with two first round picks during my time at Belmont, and the best part about it was how great human beings they were both on and off the floor.

How did head coaches Rick Byrd and Casey Alexander groom and prepare you best for a professional career?

They taught be how to play the game the right way, as a member of a team through an unselfish and high IQ play style. They also taught me the importance of being a well rounded person, and how all the talent in the world won’t get you anywhere if you don’t have a good work ethic and strong character.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Seth Adelsperger?

Me and Seth both won our fair share of battles. He and I complimented each other very well on the floor, especially during that 2019-2020 championship run. He was a great veteran that I looked up to and learned a lot from.

Who was the toughest player that you faced in the NCAA that reached the NBA?

Ja Morant.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

I don’t know about best because I have had a countless amount both at the college and professional level, so I’ll just shout out my 5 classmates at Belmont considering we have a bond that will last us a lifetime – Grayson Murphy, Caleb Hollander, Luke Smith, Tate Pierson, and Michael Mayernick.

Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore?

MJ, LeBron, Kareem, Bill Russell.

Who is your GOAT and why?

Michael Jordan. He’s the most dominant competitor the game has ever seen.

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America movie? Shouldn’t they have left it alone?

I never saw the sequel, so I can’t comment on it!

Thanks Nick for the chat.