Norwich senior Josh Borfitz is on track finish with the second-most three-pointers in school history Not just that, he’ll also finish his career in a few weeks as the school’s most accurate shooter from the three-point distance.
Playing for a Purple Tornado team that is the highest scoring offense in Chenango County, Borfitz is his club’s most prolific scorer as well. Combining deadly outside shooting with a new-found slash-to-the-basket game, Borfitz is no longer just a spot-up shooter waiting for a teammate to deliver a timely pass.
“When he came up to the varsity level as a sophomore, he was 100 percent ready as a shooter,” said Norwich coach Mark Abbott attesting to Borfitz’s scoring capabilities.
However, Borfitz was more of a specialist rather than someone with a complete game at each end of the floor. In the span of two seasons, the lefty gunslinger has transformed himself from a one-dimensional shooter to the complete package.
Borfitz will now attack the basket, and is second on the team in assists at nearly 3.5 per game. He rebounds at nearly five per contest, shoots 74 percent from the foul line, and now is a capable man-to-man defender. All the while, he is making three-point shots at nearly a 50 percent clip.
As an example of Borfitz’s improvement, he will now regularly check the opponent’s best offensive player. “There was a time when Josh guarding the other team’s best scorer was not an option,” Abbott said. “We actually looked for him to be a helper, now he’s a stopper.”
Coming off a three-game stretch over the last week and a half in which he averaged 18.3 points per game and knocked down 12 more three-pointers, Borfitz is our number one option as this week’s Evening Sun/Smith Ford LLC Athlete of the Week.
As Abbott and anyone else will tell you, it’s almost unfathomable how Borfitz finds a way to get open against opposing defenses. His accuracy from 20 feet out, bottom line, is lights out
“If I was an opposing coach defending our team, I would not let Josh get a shot off or have any room at all,” Abbott said.
Yet, Norwich has a unique dribble-drive offense predicated on penetrating the opponent’s defense, and kicking out passes to open shooters. Senior point guard Derek Hughes has sliced and diced his way through every defense, and opponents have to respect every option Norwich has on the floor. Aside from Borfitz, Norwich has equally-deadly three-point shooter Casey Edwards on the other outside wing, and forward Richie Bonney is a proven inside-outside threat.
“Derek’s ability to penetrate and Casey’s ability to hit shots are perfect complements to Josh,” Abbott said. “He (Josh) fits in beautifully with this offense because there are lots of scoring opportunities for perimeter players.”
Borfitz’s rounded out game has him thinking about continuing his playing career on the collegiate level, Abbott said. A student of the game and an excellent student in the classroom (number seven among the class of 2010), Abbott has no doubt Borfitz will do whatever it takes to make himself a collegiate player.
“Josh is way more than a scorer now, he’s a basketball player,” Abbott said. “He does it all, and he does it without a hint of selfishness. He’s grown by leaps and bounds over the past three years, and that is a testament to the time and effort he has put into the game.
“Josh just loves the game, he loves his teammates, and he loves to compete. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to coach him.”

Editor’s note: Aidamarie Rull, who produced the artist rendering of Josh Borfitz, is a 1986 graduate of the Art Institute of Seattle. She may be reached by e-mail for pencil or charcoal portraits at aidamarie_rull@yahoo.com.