Former GCC standout Klimchock excels at The Kiski School

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, April 3, 2018 | 8:21 PM

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A lot has changed in a year for Asa Klimchock, the former Greensburg Central Catholic boys basketball player.

Klimchock, a 6-foot point guard whose family is from Greensburg, transferred to The Kiski School, the Westmoreland County-based, all-boys, college preparatory boarding school, where he earned the team MVP award after a year earlier helping to spark GCC to a 25-2 record and a run to the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals.

“When he took off for us is when he got comfortable with our offense,” Kiski coach Damien Williams said. “We needed him to score and be a defender, and he really took off before Christmas at The Hill School Tournament. He put 21 points on those guys and got the attention of a lot of Division I coaches.”

Like Kiski, The Hill School, from Pottstown, Montgomery County, is a member of the Interstate Prep League and went on to win the league championship. Kiski, despite Klimchock's efforts, finished the year out of the running with a 12-10 record.

But it didn't deter Williams from acknowledging the results of Klimchock's first year at Kiski.

“He's got a high motor,” Williams said. “I love his leadership on the court. He's not vocal, but he's very competitive.”

For Klimchock, there's been no more short, daily commutes to and from neighboring GCC in Hempfield; no more loud student sections cheering on his team in a bandbox gymnasium; no more simple tie-and-khaki attire, as if that sort of get-up isn't rigid enough for a young teenager more likely to wear jeans and a sweatshirt.

“At Kiski, you have to wear a coat and tie,” Klimchock said. “It's been hard to adjust and hard to split time with my friends at GCC.”

But it may be worth it by the time Klimchock, 17, a reclassified high school sophomore point guard, chooses a college. He's hoping his decision to attend Kiski will pay off in the form of a D-I scholarship.

Kiski, like a handful of similar schools in the state, is not sanctioned by the PIAA. Its teams face schedules made up largely of out-of-state schools and routinely attract college coaches.

“I didn't not like Central,” Klimchock said. “I liked the situation, but if I wanted to get better in basketball, this made more sense.”

GCC averaged 24 wins in seven seasons before slumping to a 6-15 record this year.

Klimchock, who overcame a pair of surgeries to repair a broken bone in his leg that kept him inactive for months at GCC, led the Centurions' high-octane offense 2016-17.

His versatile play sparked GCC to an undefeated regular season before the team lost once each in the WPIAL and PIAA playoffs. It was former coach Greg Bisignani's final year before Bisignani moved into an assistant's role before the start of this year under his successor, current coach Jim Nesser.

Then, for Klimchock, came the decision to move to Kiski's 350-acre campus in northeastern Westmoreland County at the Indiana County border, where he quickly adapted in the classroom, on the basketball court and on the cross country course.

Yes, he said, picking up cross country whipped him into better shape and improved his basketball skills.

“It really helped me,” he said. “After coming from cross country to basketball, I never really got tired.”

Basketball was Klimchock's only sport at GCC.

Klimchock led Kiski with an average of 16 points while adding seven assists and five rebounds per game.

He playfully acknowledges his fondness for goodies, such an occasional ice cream sandwich or a bag of chips. He also knows it's in his best interest to stay active in the offseason.

“He's an awesome kid, a very good student,” Williams said. “Just so happens he's a very good basketball player as well.”

Klimchock played in one of two underclassmen games at the inaugural ITPS #CancerSucks Baseline Recruiting Charity Classic on Saturday at Chatham.

When Asa was reminded of the stellar season he had just concluded, he was quick to deflect the praise.

“Honestly, I'm happy about how much better I got,” he said, “but it wasn't the season I was hoping for as a team. Any time we're above .500 is good, but I came to win. We didn't do enough of that, probably because there were a lot of new guys playing together.”

Spoken like a Klimchock.

Besides Kilmchock's uncle, Rick, a veteran coach leading the girls team at Greensburg Salem, the family's hoops highlights include:

• Laura, Rick's daughter, a 1,000-point basketball scorer at Greensburg Central Catholic and Saint Vincent and an academic advisor for men's lacrosse, women's basketball and men's and women's soccer at Cleveland State.

• Chris, a son and former basketball player at Greensburg Salem and Saint Vincent and a men's basketball assistant at Penn State Behrend.

• Ben, a son, who played basketball at GCC and Saint Vincent.

“More the ‘we', not the ‘I',” Rick Klimchock said, when defining Asa. “Chris was always about team and family. I think Asa has that in him. He's been around the block and played with some seasoned AAU teams. He's got a lot of Chris in him, but he's bigger and stronger. And, of course, he's been around Ben and Laura, too.”

Williams said Asa's steady play on the court this season was more than enough to earn Kiski's top player award.

“It's about the team first here,” Williams said. “One of the things I look at when determining a captain and the most outstanding player is just that. And Asa is a team-first guy.”

Dave Mackall is a freelance writer.