The apple has not fallen far from the tree for Norwich senior Zan Stewart.
Stewart's grandfather, John Stewart, is regarded as one of Norwich's greatest all-around athletes, and he still holds Norwich's single-game scoring record. Zan's father, Gary, was also a standout performer for NHS basketball in the 1970s.
A third generation Stewart athlete nonpareil, Zan Stewart has made his own name on the court as a three-year performer for the Tornado hoops squad.
Once known as simply a scorer, Stewart has become a complete player. He'll grab a tough rebound, snap off a nifty assist to a teammate or grab his shorts tight and lock down on defense against the other team's best offensive player.
Whatever Norwich coach Tom Collier needs, his first option is Stewart. And, by the way, Stewart can still score – almost at will against Southern Tier Athletic Conference competition.
Stewart has filled a huge void left by all-state guard Mike Sutton, and at least from a production standpoint, there has been little drop-off at point guard. "We were looking for who would replace Sutton," Collier said. "Zan stepped up in the summer and said he wanted to be the point guard."
This from a lanky 6-foot-4 player who is Norwich's tallest starter. Stewart projects as a shooting guard or small forward on the next level, but he has proven through 12 games that he has plenty of skills to run the point.
"He's done a really good job for us so far, and he's a magician with the ball," Collier said.
Stewart's contributions are so spread out from game to game, it's almost hard to pinpoint where he has given the Norwich its biggest lift. He leads in scoring, rebounding, and assists – the basketball trifecta of stats, if you will – and is coming off three straight double-doubles in points and rebounds. This from a guy who is not assigned to play under the basket.
A three-time defending Section IV champion, Norwich is rolling toward a fourth straight championship led by Stewart, who is this week's honoree as Matthews Ford and Planet Preowned Athlete of the Week.
“What I’ve noticed the most from Zan the past three years is how he has matured as a person,” Collier said. “He used to be a guy following the lead of others. He’s a leader this year, and he’s a great teammate.”
An all-division performer last year, it was a shame that Stewart didn’t get what would have been a well justified all-state designation. If he continues at this year’s pace, that omission will surely be rectified down the line. “He has some moves on the court that give you that ‘wow factor,’” Collier said. “He’s always had that, and what I like about this year is his added intensity.”
Perhaps Stewart is on mission after last year’s season-ending loss to eventual state champion Westhill. No team played the Warriors any tougher than the Warriors, and Norwich was a whisker away from pulling out the win. Stewart had a perfect look a three-pointer at the end of overtime that would have extended the game. The ball rattled in and out as Norwich suffered its lone defeat in an otherwise sparkling season.
By no means did anyone place an iota of blame on Stewart. He had a terrific junior season, and his tying shot attempt was perfect in form and function, it just didn’t clear rim and twine. “Zan was really depressed for two or three weeks after that game,” Collier said. “I watched the shot on film, and everything he did on that shot was perfect - his footwork, how he squared his shoulders, and his release. The shot was down, and then out.”
With the memory of that shot now in the rearview mirror, Stewart has elevated his already high standard to another level, something that has led Collier to one conclusion: “It’s easy for me to say because he plays for me, but I’ll take Zan over anyone else in our league,” he said.
From what we’ve seen so far, we concur with Collier.