From family driveway to senior year, Aurora Central's Czerak has come a long way

Growing up nearby Aurora Central Catholic, Brett Czerak fondly remembers the basketball battles he and his brothers waged in the family driveway.

"We played two-on-two," Brett said of his older brothers, Matt and Andy, and younger brother, Kyle. "My oldest brother (Matt) has brown hair while Andy and Kyle have blond hair so those would be the teams - brown versus blond. It was very competitive but we would usually win."

Playing with and against older competition, Czerak absorbed the nuances of the game.

"It was a good learning experience," said Czerak. "I'd see what I needed to work on and it toughened me up."

As a freshman, Czerak gained additional toughness during a trying first year on varsity (along with current teammates Mac Cowen and Donovan Reid) when the Chargers posted a 3-24 record.

"It was rough but I had a chance to play," he said. "Looking back, it was a good wake-up call for me. It made me work extra hard in the offseason."

Three years later, things have worked out rather well for Czerak and his team.

Coach Nate Drye's Chargers own a 14-4 heading into their Tuesday contest at Plainfield Central.

Meanwhile, Czerak became the school's all-time leading scorer during ACC's 60-59 win over St. Edward on Jan. 19 in Aurora.

With 1:40 remaining in the first half, the 6-foot-1 senior guard connected on a 15-foot turnaround jumper to eclipse the old mark of 1,593 points held by 2008 graduate Mark Adams.

The moment became even better since junior brother Kyle assisted on Brett's record-breaking basket.

"It was nice," said Brett, who scored 22 of his team-high 30 points in the second half to lift ACC to the Metro Suburban Blue victory. "They stopped the game and Coach Drye took the ball. My parents, grandparents and siblings were all there to watch. It was a storybook night."

With 8 regular-season remaining, Czerak's storybook career point total stands at 1,629.

"It's a nice milestone for any individual," said Czerak. "When all is said and done though, I'd just like to win as many games as possible. It's not something I spent a lot of time thinking about."

In fact, Czerak learned of the record-breaking possibility the night before the St. Edward game.

"My brother, Matt, told me about it," said Czerak, whose oldest brother played on the ACC team that faced Rock Island in the 2011 Class 3A supersectional.

After scoring 6 points per game as a freshman, the 6-foot-1 Czerak raised his average to 16 points per contest during his sophomore campaign as the Chargers finished 15-15 and defeated Marengo in the 3A regional championship.

"He really blossomed his sophomore year," Drye said of Czerak.

Last season, Czerak averaged 20 points per game while shooting 46 percent from 3-point range (69 of 151) and 88 percent at the free-throw line (73 of 83) as the Chargers finished 15-12.

His ascension has continued into this season, as Czerak currently averages 25.8 points per game.

"He has put a lot of work in," said Drye. "It's a testament to his consistency. He just keeps scoring and scoring."

No small task considering Czerak is a known commodity.

"It's tough when everybody is focusing on you," said Drye.

Czerak has the unique ability to make things look easy - whether it is finishing a drive to the basket or stopping and popping 25-footer from the top of the key.

"He has a simple shot," said Drye. "There's not a lot of extra movement involved. He doesn't really force stuff - he stays within the offense. We've fine-tuned it to get him shots and he can score in spurts.

"Since his freshman year, he is stronger and better off the dribble. His pullup jumper has improved - he's incredible in the air. This year, he has extended his range a couple feet behind the (3-point) line."

His pure shooting skills shine at the free-throw line where he seldom draws iron - yet alone misses.

"I hate missing free throws," said Czerak, whose routine includes bouncing the ball three times and taking a deep breath before each foul shot.

Earlier this season, Czerak connected on 19 of 20 free throws during ACC's 68-62 overtime victory over Plainfield Central.

Naturally, Czerak remembered the one miss more than the 19 makes.

"Brett has to be one of the state's best free-throw shooters," said Drye. "He's shooting close to 95-96 percent at the line. He has missed four free throws all season - and it's a big sample size."

Czerak, who played 4 years of varsity soccer at ACC, hopes to continue his basketball career at the Division III or NAIA level next season.

"He'll go on and have a great career," said Drye. "He'll score at the next level, too - no doubt."

Craig Brueske can be reached at csb4k@hotmail.com