There are six seconds left in the fourth quarter. The crowd is on their feet, screaming as the teams break from their huddle and walk onto the court. The roar of the fans deafens all noises, making it difficult to think. The inbound pass is caught by #5 and is immediately thrown into the basket. The buzzer goes off and they have won the game. The NK boys basketball team storms the court and swarms the man of the hour: Josh Pitzer.

Senior center Josh Pitzer has been playing basketball since the fifth grade. He began his career bysolely participating in the everyday pick up game between friends. Soon enough, he developed a knack for the sport and was able to translate his skills to North Kingstown Travel, Davisville Middle School, and now North Kingstown High School basketball.

Height has always been Pitzer’s essential asset in developing his game. The 6’ 6” center towers over defenders, allowing him to make space and to be a strong force on the boards. “Josh’s presence in the low post allowed him to exploit defenses this season,” said teammate Rob Haberland, senior. “His skills make him one of the best scoring big men in the state.”

One of Pitzer’s other strong physical characteristics is his large hands, which allow for a quick reaction time. These qualities culminate into a tall yet accurate and precise player that is able to lead his team to success.

Pitzer has led the boy’s varsity basketball team to an impressive 11-5 league record, and an overall record of 17-6. The first year starter has played a total of 543 minutes this season, proving to be a force both offensively and defensively. “From playing Junior Varsity last year to becoming the team’s leading scorer is flat out impressive,” said senior captain Liam Curran.

During the season, Pitzer scored a team high 349 points. Through 23 games he averaged 14.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. The center also recorded 10 double-doubles, games in which he had double digit numbers in two different categories. Pitzer scored on 56.02% of the shots he took, leading the team in field goal percentage. This success catapulted him into the playoffs where he averaged 19 points through three games.

In response to his great performance on the court, Pitzer was nominated onto the 2015-2016 First Team All-League. Along with this award, he has also been invited to play in the Rhode Island Interscholastic League All-Star game. On Mar. 14, Pitzer will join other athletes from various schools to showcase their talents in front of spectators at Rhode Island College.

The rising star continues to practice on his skills six days a week for two and a half hours. He has acquired the nickname of “Pitzingis”, a spin off of NBA player Kristaps Porzingis. He hopes that his dedication and hard work will lead him into college, as he plans to attend Johnson and Wales University. “I think I have done really well at filling the starting center spot. I am not a senior captain, but I try to act like one and be a leader for my team,” said Pitzer.