SLIPPERY ROCK — ZackEjzak has taken his lumps — literally.

The Slippery Rock High School junior point guard was one of the few freshmen elevated to the varsity team during Sean Strickland's first year as boys basketball coach at the school two seasons ago.

Like the rest of the team, Ejzak struggled. The Rockets won just two games.

As a sophomore, it was more of the same for Ejzak and the Rockets. Slippery Rock won just five games and Ejzak missed 10 contests because of a broken hand.

When he did play, he showed flashes of brilliance, which has carried over into this season.

"A lot of people openly wondered why I brought Zack up to varsity as a freshman," Strickland said. "Now they are seeing why."

And how.

Slippery Rock is the hot pick to make the District 10 playoffs this year. The Rockets already have won three games, and, in large part, they have Ejzak to thank for that.

As of Wednesday, he is averaging 16.6 points, six rebounds and is shooting 55 percent from the field. Ejzak also is an 84 percent shooter from the line, and he leads the team with 21 offense rebounds.

All this from a point guard playing the position for the first time since eighth grade.

"The last two years I have been playing the wing," Ejzak said. "Then, this year, I got moved to point guard. I've been working on it for a while. That's been my biggest thing. Understanding the game more. Making better passes."

But it is Ejzak's scoring that makes him so dangerous on the court.

He is quick off the dribble and is a slasher, showing the ability to cut to the rim.

Ejzak also is a danger from the perimeter, and, as his rebounding numbers suggest, can mix it up inside, too.

It was while mixing it up inside during a rebounding drill in practice last season that he broke his hand and was forced to the bench for 10 games.

"It wasn't the best thing, because I wanted to play," Ejzak said.

But Strickland had another take. The time Ejzak spent watching the action benefitted him, he said.

"He got a chance to step back and watch things from a distance," Strickland said. "It helped him in the long run."

But as he sat on the bench and the team continued to lose, it was the same old story for Ejzak,.

"The worst thing in the world is losing," Ejzak said. "I hate losing. But it showed us we have to work together and come together as a team."

So far, Slippery Rock is a much-improved team. But it hasn't played in many big games the last two seasons.

Ejzak is hoping to change that.