Jan. 28, 2001
Editor's Note: Articles such as this one by Carroll Fadal appear in each edition of the Baylor Bear Insider Report, available upon membership in the Baylor Bear Foundation. For information on joining the Bear Foundation, click here.
He has the bloodlines of a thoroughbred, a power forward's body with a shooting guard's touch and the brainpower of a National Honor Society member. Given those impressive traits, it wasn't a stretch to predict college basketball success for Logan Kosmalski. But no one expected it quite so soon.
The 6-8, 225-pound freshman finished Baylor's unblemished non-conference schedule as the team's sixth-leading scorer (7.9 points a game) and fourth-best rebounder (4.5 a game), starting nine of the 11 games.
"Logan has come to a program that needs him to do some things that I think he is really capable of doing," said coach Dave Bliss. "He's stepped in, he's played the power forward for us, and he plays with a maturity beyond his years. I'm not sure that you expect anything out of a freshman, but you're grateful to get anything. The aspect of his involvement certainly has allowed us to be a better team than we would have been without him."
Both Bliss and Kosmalski are quick to give credit to Logan's family. His father, Len, played collegiately at Tennessee, then spent several years with the NBA's Chicago Bulls and Kansas City (now Sacramento) Kings and in Europe's professional league. His older brother, Landry, started four years at Davidson in North Carolina and played professionally in Sweden.
"EVER SINCE a young age, my dad taught me how to dribble and shoot," Kosmalski said. "As I got older, he taught me more detailed post moves, where to be, my stance and everything. He really taught me a lot."
"Oddly enough, I remember recruiting his dad, Len," Bliss said. "He went to Tennessee, but I remember him being on the recruiting lists when I was back at West Point. His older brother, Landry, was a great player at Davidson. Landry wasn't as big as Logan is." Not quite as big. At 6-foot-7, Landry is the shortest of the Kosmalski men. Dad Len is an even seven feet.
"We always tease my mom that she's really killing our height," Logan said. "She's only like 5-7. If she was 5-10, we'd both be seven-foot." While countless youngsters grow up being taken to school by their fathers in driveway games, not many have an NBA veteran teaching them post moves ? or other not-so-fine points of the game.
"ACTUALLY," Kosmalski grinned, "I think it was two summers ago, he knocked one of my teeth out playing one-on-one. It was a cheap shot. Both my dad and my brother have been major influences on my basketball career. I've always said that I have an advantage, because I've been able to learn from what my dad went through and what my brother went through."
And while his backyard lessons have served him well, Kosmalski is quite happy he came to Baylor to continue his basketball -- and classroom -- education.
"I had some other coaches come to the house recruiting," he said, "but I think Baylor was a heavy favorite from the beginning. I only took a campus visit to Baylor, then I made my decision."
Rated the No. 5 prospect in Texas after a standout high school career at Euless Trinity, Hi Kosmalski chose BU over SMU, Davidson, Santa Clara and Pittsburgh, primarily for one reason.
"Coach Bliss and his honesty and his personality, I could tell he's just a really good guy," he said. "Looking at his record building strong programs at Oklahoma, SMU and New Mexico, that speaks for itself. I had a really good feeling that he was going to come down to Baylor and establish something good. The academics are always good, and the location, being so close to home, everything fit me pretty perfect, like the number of students. I didn't want to go to a place like Texas where you're just a number. Coming to Baylor, being able to know other students, to know my classmates, that was a big deal."
Bliss agrees that Kosmalski and Baylor are a match made in heaven.
"TO ME, HE'S A PERFECT complement to what Baylor's trying to do," Bliss said. "He's a smart player, and he epitomizes how Baylor is going to get better, because he's always out there, not worried about the name on the back of the shirt. He just worries about the team on the front of the jersey, he plays for Baylor. He's a great representative when he goes out to speak to kids, and around the campus, people really enjoy meeting him."
As well as he's fit in on campus, Kosmalski's been a bigger hit on the court. Combining a tough inside mentality with a surprising outside touch, he's able to score, rebound, assist and defend equally well, and all within the framework of team play.
"The part I look at with Logan is that he can play inside, he can play outside, he's got good hand skills, he'll make good decisions under pressure, he can make free throws under pressure, he's a good passer, and he really thinks the game," Bliss said. "He's taken good advantage of his window of opportunity."
Naturally, Kosmalski credits his dad for his strong fundamentals. But he's quick to praise Bliss and his Baylor teammates, particularly veterans Terry Black, DeMarcus Minor, Chad Elsey and Greg Davis, for helping him adjust to Division I ball.
"I think always being around basketball has really helped me," he said. "Getting the experience in pre-conference has really helped. I'm lucky to be able to play with guys like Greg and Chad and Terry and DeMarcus because of their experience.
"THEY'RE SUCH GOOD GUYS, they've really helped me and Matt (fellow freshman Matt Sayman) learn a lot about the college game. It's just like having a brother out there to guide us through. I'm really surprised at how well these guys have accepted me. We're all friends now.
"Terry and DeMarcus are both really good guys. They're really outspoken, they get people motivated and feeling confident.
"I don't expect players to look to me in a pressure situation. In an ideal game, I'd hit the open shots when I have them, don't force anything, take care of the ball, rebound, take charges and set good screens."
Kosmalski thinks with Baylor's skill, chemistry and leadership, big things are in store.
"If we work hard enough, I definitely think that the chance is there for postseason play, and I think a lot of other guys think that, too," he said. "That's what we're working for."
Editor's Note: Articles such as this one by Carroll Fadal appear in each edition of the Baylor Bear Insider Report, available upon membership in the Baylor Bear Foundation. For information on joining the Bear Foundation, click here.
