03/03/2006
By BRIAN PORTER, Staff writer

PLANO - With a svelte 6-foot-8 frame, Eric Zastoupil grew too large for hockey. He never lost the desire for the rough and tumble contact the sport offered.

So basketball became the perfect fit for a guy nicknamed 'Nasty Zasty.'

"The first time I lost my teeth was in hockey," Zastoupil said. "I got them knocked out again this year."

No one takes more punishment than Eric Zastoupil.

He found himself on the bottom of a pile of three Lancaster players as a junior. From there his reputation developed. He even enjoys the contact and the fact he's much, much tougher than people think.

"Its all mental inside," Zastoupil said. "Sometimes, I'll let the guy guarding me block my first shot.

It's a mind game down there."

Even the most physical, most revered defensive player in the history of the Plano basketball program has to admit the pure physical nature the future West Point cadet brings to Plano, which will make its first appearance since 2003 in a regional tournament today at Abilene Christian's Moody Coliseum.

Abdullah 'Bull' Lawal, the career steals and charges drawn leader at Plano, played as a senior with Zastoupil and Texas A&M signee Joe Fulce.

"I remember him being soft. Now you watch him post up and score at will," Lawal said. "He gets away with a lot of stuff I never could."

The glamour is reserved for John Roberson, the top junior guard in Texas, and Fulce, who first dunked as an eighth-grader.

Lawal respects Zastoupil. So do his teammates and by the end of each game, so do his opponents.

"John is a great guard. He beat me twice in one-on-one. Joe was the guy that was going to follow in Michael (Milton's) footsteps," Lawal said. "I think Eric is the leader. He may be the best player. If Plano was to ever lose Eric, it might be over.

"After I graduated, I said this would be the team to win state. I said we'd win in football and basketball. I think we should win it. There is a ton of talent on this team."

In what may be the most ridiculous statement on the talent Plano possesses, the team has a 7-footer coming off the bench and five players measuring 6-5 or taller. Plano's top four tallest players are on average a half-inch shorter than the tallest four players on the Duke roster, the unanimous No. 1 team in the NCAA Division I national poll.

Plano (25-8) meets Odessa (19-14) at 6 p.m. today in a Region I-Class 5A boys basketball semifinal playoff game. DeSoto (35-1) meets El Paso Montwood (29-0) at 8 p.m. in the other semifinal. The winners advance into the Region I-Class 5A championship to take place at noon Saturday at Moody Coliseum.

Plano last appeared in a regional tournament in 2003 with a team comprised of Milton, who holds eight Plano scoring records, and Lawal.

Zastoupil and Fulce were brought to the varsity team the following season and have led Plano to its fifth-straight playoff appearance.

"People were saying then that this was going to be our year," Zastoupil said. "You've got to think about Mark Foster, Ryan Manack, Travis Vance and others. We still talk to them and thank them for what they did to keep us going."

Zastoupil has filled that void this season. Landon Skinner was lost to injury and Fulce had knee surgery to leave Plano without two starters for more than a month.

"Eric willed this team," Plano coach Tom Inman said. "He carried us on his back. I love his team spirit." Lawal says Zastoupil is somewhere between a Ben Wallace and a Bill Lambeer. He continually draws contact and despite converting free throws at about 85 percent, he rarely gets to the line. His 15 points Tuesday in a regional quarterfinal win over Duncanville may have been the 15 toughest points ever scored by any Plano player.

He gets hacked, draws flagrant elbows and shots in the back. Zastoupil loves it.

"It's physical and rough," Zastoupil said. "That's the way I like to play."

Zastoupil and Fulce have been playing together since sixth grade. Lawrence Mann joined the tandem at Vines. Roberson, a Florida transfer, was added to the mix this season. He immediately won the point guard position as Brandon Ware transferred out to Seagoville.

"Getting John was an all-around blessing," Zastoupil said. "His basketball I.Q. is through the roof and he's humble about it. Your hands better be up any time John has the ball. He won't look at you the entire possession and still he drops it right in your hands."

Zastoupil has an easy-going, soft-spoken nature. Except on the court, something he attributes to living for a year in Australia.

"As a team, this is what we live for," Zastoupil said. "I remember at dinner after the Duncanville game, we were completely exhausted and our legs were still twitching for more."

The team follows the nature of its coach. Inman, a fast-talking, Illinois native, refuses to back down from a challenge and his players love it.

"He said we could win state. He says what we're all thinking," Zastoupil said. "We love that he's not afraid and holds nothing back. He says exactly what he's thinking. You've got to appreciate that."

Plano has transformed into an offensive juggernaut. Zastoupil is a throw back to the old times at Plano.

"We were known to play smashmouth basketball and pass it around a lot," Zastoupil said. "John came in and he gets it and goes. The stuff he does and he only averages two turnovers. Wow!" Zastoupil isn't one to hide his feelings, either.

"We got Lawrence and Joe who are almost genetically engineered to play basketball," he said. "We've got John and great athleticism. We've got a 7-footer on the bench and that says a lot about our team. I'm feeling really good about this."