Prospect Profile: Zach Zibelli (2021)
Back in November, I took a trip over to the practice gym of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale. It was my first visit to the prestigious private school, so I was taking a bit of a blind…
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Continue ReadingBack in November, I took a trip over to the practice gym of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale. It was my first visit to the prestigious private school, so I was taking a bit of a blind look at the Raider basketball team.
It didn’t take me long to realize the talent, particularly in a flash with 2021 point guard Zach Zibelli. While I was impressed with the juniors athletic ability at the position, Zibelli already had the DNA of a basketball player long before I took my first witness on that November day.
“My parents will tell you I was born an athlete,” said Zibelli. “Athletics and competition pretty much run in my blood. My parents were both athletes so at a very young age I discovered my love for sports. I played every sport growing up from soccer, football, basketball and even a bit of baseball. I excelled in all of them but basketball was always on my mind.”
During the Raiders practice, Zibelli seemed to have all the tools of a standout basketball player. The six-foot-guard looked natural in 3-man weave drills and a professional running the court with the ball in his hands. While it was the early stages of an opening practice, Zibelli looked the part and the shape of a player already in mid-season form.
“Growing up, I would just shoot in my backyard,” said Zibelli. ” I would have my mom countdown and I would dribble until she got to one and then I would shoot a buzzer beater. My love for the game never wavered and when people assumed I would play football in high school, I choose basketball.”
So who did Zibelli remind me of?
The first player that came to mind was eight-time NBA All-Star Steve Nash. Nash was a two-time MVP and is third all-time in NBA history in career assists. Certainly, not a bad comparison….
If you ask Zibelli however, his basketball craft comes from another player, one that is synonymous and idolized by many young players in the south Florida area. In fact, I think he could run for mayor in the shadows of where Zibelli grew up.
I should have known…
“Being born and raised here (Miami), you know I am a Heat fan,” said Zibelli. Dwayne Wade is definitely the player I have watched my whole life and I just love the unselfishness he plays with. He is quick and makes explosive plays. On top of that, he really understands his players abilities. He is an amazing role model on and off the court.”
Call him Nash or Wade, Zibelli is a true point guard, one that possess a leadership role and a responsibility to making his teammates better.
Of all the players I have seen in the area, the junior fits the blueprint to the position of anyone I have seen. As I said above, it didn’t take me long in the Raiders gym to see what Zibelli brought to the table. In retrospect, I was just catching up on what I might have missed and what people have already known…Zibelli’s M.O. is that of an athletic point guard.
“I see the court really well,” said Zibelli. “I have always been able to sense the play that needs to be made. I handle the ball well under pressure and get my teammates open for buckets. I make a priority to engage all my teammates on the court and make our opponent defend all of them. I am a team player and can play within a system while also being creative when I see the opportunity. I am confident and play with that attitude while never getting rattled. I am always trying to improve my game in every aspect.”
Before he moves on to the next chapter of his life, you still have the rest of his junior season and all of next to check him out at St. Thomas Aquinas in the Raiders main basketball gym. The stage might be bigger, but Zibelli will be running the Raider offense just as naturally as when I saw him gearing up for that first November practice or shooting buzzer beaters as a little kid in his backyard. If all goes well, he will be looking to play on an even bigger stage once his high school career is over.
“Of course playing in college is a goal and playing at the Division-1 or Division-2 level is my dream,” said Zibelli. I don’t have any particular school in mind as of now but I am hoping as I keep playing, opportunities will present themselves.”
Once an athlete, always an athlete.
Or and athlete playing point guard, that is who Zach Zibell is.
For any South Florida hoops news or information…please contact Michael Costeines on Instagram @Steins_23 or follow him twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.