The Derryfield School's Jack Krasnof 'just never stops'
Dec. 9—JACK KRASNOF is always moving.
When the Windham resident started playing basketball around third grade, he also tried soccer, baseball and football. "I just kind of wanted to try everything," Krasnof said.
He gravitated toward basketball and made it his primary sport around fifth grade; he liked the mental aspect and fast pace.
As a senior for the Derryfield School boys basketball team this winter, Krasnof described his position as a "point forward."
In other words, he is all over the court for the Cougars.
"That's the thing about Jack — I could put him anywhere," fifth-year Cougars coach Ed Meade said after the team's 61-46 NHIAA Division IV triumph at Concord Christian Academy on Thursday.
"I could put him at center, I could put him at forward, I could put him at guard. It doesn't really matter.
"He's one of those all-purpose guys that you can rely on and move him anywhere you need him."
Against Concord Christian, Krasnof at times took the ball upcourt and directed traffic like a point guard, hustled to be an option on fast-break layups, scored on isolation plays in the paint and drained jumpers from the free-throw line. He also guarded his defensive assignments tight without getting into foul trouble.
Krasnof finished with a game-high 35 points alongside eight rebounds, three assists and four steals.
The senior captain, who also plays tennis at Derryfield, opened the basketball season with a 20-point outing in Derryfield's 65-20 win over Wilton-Lyndeborough. In the Cougars' 43-36 victory at Epping last Tuesday, Krasnof was held to 12 points but contributed by setting up his teammates for baskets, Meade said.
"My mindset is just doing what's best for the team in any situation," Krasnof said. "I feel like I have a very well-rounded game and, for me, it's just knowing that each game with each opponent there's going to be a different game plan they're going to throw at me and the team and being able to adapt to that with shooting, rebounding, finishing inside, defense — whatever it is."
This offseason, Krasnof, who was the Cougars' leading scorer last year (21.7 points per game), worked on his ballhandling, vision and trying to turn himself into more of a point guard. Krasnof said his trainer for the past two years, former Oyster River and University of Virginia player Keith Friel, has helped him transform his game.
This season, Krasnof said, he has drawn plenty of attention and defenders have face-guarded him every game. Opponents are troubled when trying to get a read on exactly what he does for Derryfield, Meade said.
"He can either be outside or inside," Meade said of Krasnof. "He can be in the corner. He can be on the low block. It's very hard for teams to scout him. Epping did a pretty good job against him the other night — they were doubling him up on top — but then he's able to find his teammates. ... It's hard to stop Jack totally."
Teams have also tried their best to get Krasnof in foul trouble, he said, but he has played tough defense and while being cautious of his foul count. "It's really just finding that balance of sometimes I want to play pressure but when I start to get fouls I need to be looser," he said.
Krasnof said he and his fellow seniors — Billy Gardner, Alex Comire, Krishna Katragadda, Nick Ferrari, Elias Kanteres, Alex Drake, Zack Martin and Logan Purvis — have built strong chemistry over the years. The group has been playing together since middle school.
Martin, who missed the Concord Christian game with an injury, and Krasnof have become a deadly duo on the fast break, Meade said.
"I think honestly we've just got a lot of great athletes, and that really pays off on the court," Krasnof said. "I think we can be bigger, faster, stronger than a lot of these teams and, also, we've just got a lot of guys that have really bought in."
Krasnof, who credited Meade for helping him grow into a leader, said as a captain he emphasizes the importance of practicing and playing hard every day. Viewed as one of the division's title contenders, the Cougars know they are going to get every team's best effort and need to match that intensity, Krasnof said.
That is the approach Krasnof has taken since he arrived at Derryfield. Meade called Krasnof probably the hardest-working player that he has ever coached.
"He just never stops," Meade said. "All that movement just pays off for him."
