The tallest player in Div. III basketball, at 6’10’’, is off to a great start as the center for the Oswego State Lakers men’s basketball team. The senior Mykelle Krecko is finding more opportunities in the offense and waving the finger on defense.

Krecko, through six games, is averaging a double-double with 10.5 points and 10.5 rebounds a game. Known for being an exceptional rim-protector, Krecko is also averaging 3.5 blocks per game.

“It comes with the senior status,” Krecko said. “Coach tells us as seniors we got to be leaders and as a senior you got to step up and play your part.”

His best performance so far came against Clarkson University, where he scored 21 points and grabbed 15 boards in a 72-71 victory. Krecko earned Oswego State Athlete of the Week honors that week, along with being named to the Max Ziel All-Tournament Team.

In the championship game in this year’s Max Ziel Tournament, Krecko swatted away seven shot attempts to go along with his 13 points and 14 rebounds in an 83-75 victory over SUNY Canton.

“Shot blocking is like an art, it’s very precise,” Krecko said. “You gotta know when and where to be at the right time.”

This is Krecko’s second season as a Laker here at Oswego State. After having a magnificent career at Clinton Community College, he transferred to Le Moyne College and red-shirted his first season. After deciding to leave Le Moyne College, he found a permanent home here in Oswego and a chance to play for head coach Jason Leone.

“Coach Leone’s energy, his passion for basketball is what got me here,” Krecko said. “Coming off a season that he did really inspired me to come here and try to get another ring for this school.”

Nobody was more excited than Leone after Krecko’s decision to transfer here. His sophomore year at Clinton Community College he averaged 16 points, 14.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game.

According to Leone, recruiting Krecko to Oswego State was a smooth-process considering that Le Moyne is only an hour away from Oswego State.

“[Krecko] and I really hit it off,” Leone said. “He wanted an opportunity to have an impact and get his degree at a school like Oswego I think he’s glad that he found us, and we’re certainly glad we found him.”

Krecko worked hard during the  offseason on his game and more importantly on his strength and conditioning. It has helped boost his minutes on the floor and an increase of touches on the offensive end.

“He’s able to play for longer stretches with better effort,” Leone said. “I’m happy that he’s off to this start, he’s got a long a way to go still, but his impact as a leader this year has been quite significant.”

With the Lakers’ revamped roster this season, Krecko’s leadership on both ends of the floor is critical for the team’s success. He has been an answer to some of the questions about who will step up on the Lakers offense this season.

“Because [Krecko] has gotten bigger and stronger, and has gotten in better shape, he’s getting more opportunities for putbacks off the glass, and in transition,” Leone said. “He has become more of a focal point.”

One huge thing Krecko got out of his first season as a Laker was the experience of playing for a historic team and the experience that came with a trip to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Div. III Tournament.

The hope is to get that kind of feeling going throughout the season, gain confidence, chemistry and momentum to build off the team’s 4-2 start heading into the SUNYAC portion of the schedule.

“We got to come in and work hard everyday,” Krecko said. “Seniors got to lead, new guys got to buy in to the program.”

Oswego State men’s basketball is off during the week, but will play this Saturday as the Lakers prepare for its first SUNYAC contest of the season. Krecko and the Lakers will take on SUNY Cortland at 2 p.m. at Max Ziel Gymnasium here in Oswego.