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.