Unsuspecting Assassin - Anthony Maestranzi of Bartlett High School

Unsigned Anthony Maestranzi holds one of the finest
shooting touches in the state with a quick, trigger release.

By Frank Rusnak
He doesn't have the overpowering size or the menacing look. A short and skinny guard with a boyish look, Bartlett's Anthony Maestranzi doesn't look the part of a basketball superstar, but his game says differently.

A 5'10" senior point guard for a 18-6 team, Maestranzi does not back down on the court, possessing suffocating defense like white on rye and a shot so pretty, Jennifer Lopez would fall victim to jealously.

"Fundamentally, he's as good as they come. He's a complete player and makes people around him better."

Leo Szpejnowski
Bartlett Coach

"We were trying to guard him tight and I tried to encourage the guys to get up as close to him as they could," said DeKalb coach Chuck Schramm after Maestranzi lit his team up for 31 points with 7-10 three point shooting in a 68-59 Hawks victory. "But he's just got a great rhythm to him, he's got a quick release and he just plays at a different level than most high school kids. If anyone was going to ask me, I'd say he's a legitimate Division One player, forget the size."

However, it is the size, or lack there of, that is scaring off the college scouts, as he is yet to get any scholarship offers from the Division One level.

While getting slight interest from Wisconsin Green Bay and Illinois State his number one option as of now is to walk-on to Northern Illinois, redshirt his freshman year then most likely be put on scholarship his second year.

"I wish there were a little more interest for him, but a lot of people don't realize how good the kid is at 5'10"," said Bartlett coach Leo Szpejnowski. "His ball-handling is as good as anybody and the way he gets open and gets his shot off and plays defense. Fundamentally, he's as good as they come. He's a complete player and makes people around him better."

The best player in the Upstate Eight Conference, Maestranzi is first in free-throw percentage (91-percent), first in three pointers made (4.3 a game), first in assist to turnover ratio (2.95), second in scoring (22.2), second in assists (5.6), third in three point percentage (49-percent) and shoots 49-percent from the floor while taking anything but simple shots.

Setting his mark on Bartlett, he broke the 1,000-point mark Saturday against Lake Park. He stands in second place behind current Millikin University player Donte Frazier who had 1,156 points from 1998-2001.

"He came up halfway through sophomore year, so he's only had two and a half years," said Szpejnowski. "[Frazier] played a full three years."

Throughout his stay at Bartlett, Maestranzi has also developed quite a reputation throughout his school.

"He's an A-B student, a quiet leader, a very polite, courteous young man," continued Szpejnowski. "He does everything right. He's a kid that everyone admires. We had a freshman-senior mentor program this past week and all the freshmen wanted Anthony to be their mentor. They respect him that much."

Another person who respects him is his good friend, Proviso East's Illinois-bound, Dee Brown, who has never beat Maestranzi in their many one-on-one duels.

"I don't know if he was trying his hardest all the times," Maestranzi modestly said about his long time friend and AAU teammate. "Me and Dee are just good friends. He's probably the best guard in the state."

Working on his game throughout the summer playing against some of the nation's top players, Maestranzi also elevated his game and his already stellar jumpshot--literally.

"Playing this past summer helped me out a lot and showed me all the good talent that was out there," he said. "I worked on my vertical leap a lot and I think because I'm so short it helped a lot, so now I can elevate over people."

Now looking to elevate his status for the next level, he is trying to overcome his physical features to prove that its what's inside that counts. Something that Maestranzi's opponents have already realized.

"He does more for his team than any other guy does," said conference rival, point guard John Pugliese of Neuqua Valley. "Not only does he have to bring it up [the court], but he's looked at to be their No. 1 scoring option. He doesn't look like a killer, but when he gets on the court, you see the basketball instinct come out of him."