Kaneland's Dudzinski forgets to break news to parents
By JAY SCHWAB
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jschwab@kcchronicle.com
Dave Dudzinski’s parents woke up Tuesday morning to quite a surprise.
Their son, a 6-foot-8 standout in the Kaneland boys basketball program, had sealed the deal with Holy Cross late the night before, offering the Division I men’s basketball program a verbal commitment.
“I committed, and I just kind of fell asleep,” Dudzinski said. “I just told my AAU coach before I went to sleep. I woke up the next morning and the phone’s ringing non-stop. I hadn’t even told my parents yet.”
Dudzinski, a senior, selected Holy Cross over Loyola (Chicago) and Austin Peay, among other Division I suitors. He can officially sign a letter of intent on Nov. 11 during the fall signing period.
Dudzinski, whose younger sister, Katy, is a promising underclassman in Kaneland’s volleyball program, continues the family’s college sports legacy. His father, David, was a football player and his mother, Barb, a swimmer, both attended Northwestern in the 1980s.
David said his son told him of the final decision in the morning.
“He said, ‘Dad, I think you need to start getting some more purple,’” David Dudzinski said, referring to Holy Cross’ purple and white color scheme, much like Northwestern’s.
Dudzinski said he was “51/49” about the selection for quite a while, saying the decision between Loyola and Holy Cross “was eating me up.” In the end, he said, a conversation with a cousin who grew up in Massachusetts – Holy Cross is located in Worcester, Mass. – helped him decide.
Earlier in the recruiting process, Dudzinski had been considering Ivy League programs, but said Holy Cross offers another academically strong alternative with the bonus of being able to offer full-ride scholarships.
First-year Kaneland boys basketball coach Brian Johnson said college programs liked Dudzinski’s versatility.
“They really liked that he can stretch the floor, make the 15-footer, and he’s actually developed a three-point shot, too,” Johnson said. “They like that he can do that, move without the basketball and go inside and out. They liked his potential to just keep on developing.
“A lot of people see him as kind of an untapped resource as far as potential, and he’s starting to show it.”
At Holy Cross, Dudzinski will play for coach Sean Kearney, who is entering his first season with the Crusaders after spending nine years as Notre Dame’s associate head coach.
The Crusaders, who compete in the Patriot League, are coming off an 18-14 season, and have qualified for the NCAA tournament as recently as 2007.
Johnson said after doing some preliminary research, he is not aware of any other Division I men’s basketball players Kaneland has produced.
Dudzinski plans to beef up his 218-pound frame before arriving at Holy Cross. He knows his Division I status will only intensity the attention opponents pay him each night when the season starts later this month.
“There are no secrets anymore,” Dudzinski said. “I really have to work on developing all facets of the game. I can’t just chill out in the low post. I’m ready for it, whatever they throw at me.”
Dudzinski becomes the second Western Sun Conference big man to make a recent Division I selection. DeKalb center Jordan Threloff offered Illinois State a verbal commitment earlier this fall.
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