Impact Import

When Pedro Ragazzo arrived in Malvern last summer as a foreign exchange student, it wasn’t the Brazilian’s first trip to the states.

He had been to America twice before. Once on a family vacation and the other? To attend a basketball camp in North Carolina.

Why North Carolina?

“I love the Coach K,” Ragazzo said, referring to legendary Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, who hosted the camp. “I love basketball.”

Ragazzo, who is completing his senior year at East Mills High School this year while staying with hosts James and Harva Paul, has been a standout for a Wolverine basketball team that has opened the year 8-1. The start is the school’s best since their last state tournament team in 2013-2014.

The 6-foot-6, 230-pound post-player has been a big reason why.

Ragozzo’s averaging 19.7 points and 9.5 rebounds this season. His size, skill level and aggressive play on the offensive end has posed a mismatch problem for opponents.

“We wouldn’t be 8-1 without him, anybody that has played us knows that,” said East Mills basketball coach Kevin Schafer. “If (forwards) Trevor (Glockel) and Nic Duysen were our post players, we would be a totally different team.”
Ragazzo hails from Limeira, a city of 300,000 located 90 miles east of Sao Paolo, the largest city in Brazil. He’s played basketball since he was 7 years old. Prior to coming to Malvern, he played on a highly competitive club team in Brazil.

And while soccer is firmly entrenched as Brazil’s number one sport and Ragazzo does enjoy the game, he’s always preferred basketball.

“Soccer is No. 1. Basketball is like the third sport in Brazil,” he said. “I know how to do soccer but I like basketball.”

In his play for the Wolverines this season, Ragazzo has shown good feet and an ability to move without the ball, two skills he credits less to soccer than his club coaches in his home country.

“In Brazil, I played a lot of forward and my coach was a pro player in Brazil and he taught me a lot,” he said. “He gave me a lot of attention in drills and taught me a lot.”

The biggest difference he’s seen in basketball between the two countries is the speed of the game.

“USA basketball has more speed, more movement, a more beautiful form of basketball,” he said. “In Brazil, it’s more physical. It’s not as physical here but it’s good basketball. I like playing here.”

Ragazzo’s game is a bit of a throwback: he’s a back to the basket, true post-player with a soft shooting touch and a knack for offensive rebounding.

“He can shoot, he’s a good passer, and he has moves around the basket and he offensive rebounds very well,” Schafer said. “He’s had a little bit of a problem adjusting to what a foul is in America. I think the club level he played at was quite a bit rougher. In practice we tell him what’s a foul in games and he’s starting to understand.”

Some barriers still do exist on the court.

“His defense and his defensive rebounding needs work,” the coach, quipped.

Schafer said his big man’s English is fine but he isn’t always as well versed in American basketball vernacular as his teammates. Ragazzo speaks Portugese and Spanish in addition to English.

During an early season practice, Ragazzo was yelling out “block,” when the man he was defending would set a screen.

“We figured out that meant ‘screen,’” Schafer added. “His man was setting a screen. I stopped practice and told the team when he yells block, that means screen and he said, ‘oh, that’s a screen.’ Instead of our kids adjusting verbally to him, he picked it up. Most of basketball stuff is universal and he picks it up fast.”

Schafer has had exchange students come out for the squad in past years, but just a handful in his two decades as a head coach have turned out to be contributors.

“We’ve had players come out and contribute, but not to his extent,” he said. “We had a guard from Argentina a few years ago and a post-player from Italy in the 90s. We’ve actually had more contribute in football than basketball over the years.”

Ragazzo was part of the Wolverines’ football team last fall but played only sparingly.

“The game was very new to him,” said Schafer, who is also East Mills’ co-head football coach. “Physically, if he’d have been around in America a long time he’d have been a very good football player, maybe at defensive end or offensive tackle with more experience.”

Schafer first noticed Ragazzo’s shooting touch after a football practice then watched a little closer in some open gyms prior to the start of basketball practice.

“I didn’t really play close attention but I watched and you could definitely see there was an offensive skill set,” he said. “He’s a really good three-point shooter, too, but he hasn’t really had a chance to show that. He has a nice stroke.”

Schafer isn’t surprised by what Ragazzo’s done this season. The coach thought he had the potential to score and rebound and to fit right in with a tight-knit roster.

“He’s a very out-going kid and it helped he went out for football so most of them knew him when basketball started,” Schafer said. “He’s integrated with the student body really well.”

Ragazzo hopes to turn his success on the court in Malvern into an opportunity to play college basketball here in the states.

“It’s my dream,” he said.

Recruiting interest has been slow so far, but the post-player will have plenty of opportunity to show scouts his game as he and his Wolverines teammates get into the heart of the schedule over the next month.

“I want to go to the state,” Ragazzo said. “It’s one dream to play in a big, huge arena. We’re working hard day-by-day and getting better. We’re doing good things.”