By Giovanna Zavell - Drake Athletic Communications Student Assistant
This story originally appeared in the Feb. 6-9 edition of the Drake Men's Basketball Gameday Program.

It is not difficult to overlook No. 44 of the Drake men's basketball team, he is 7-feet tall, of course, making him the biggest man on the court on any given night. Moving across the court, towering over other players and continually developing beneath the hoop, freshman Dominik Olejniczak has proven to be a positive addition for the Bulldogs in his first season at Drake.

After accepting a scholarship through the Drake basketball program, Olejniczak uprooted his life in Torun, Poland, and moved to Des Moines to pursue his career as a Bulldog.

"Drake and a couple of other schools' coaches came to look at me during the Europe Championships where I was playing with my national team," Olejniczak said. "Drake contacted and said they were interested in me. I knew it was a good school for not only basketball but also a degree."

Growing up, Olejniczak, despite his mother playing professional basketball and his physical stature, did not enjoy sports and describes himself as not being athletically minded. But, years passed and his parents decided it was time for him to participate in a sport, so at the age of 14, he began playing basketball.

"The main reason I started to play was because my mom pushed me," Olejniczak said. "And, I am pretty tall, so it worked out. The game is really competitive and really physical. You have to be tough."

Olejniczak was in for more adjustments than just learning American basketball. The language barrier between Polish and English became an adjustment he and the team would have to work through.

Six months later, Olejniczak says that his English is getting better but he still struggles a little in classes. However, he feels less of a struggle when communicating in practice and games because it is basketball, and "the language of basketball is the same everywhere," he says.

"When he first moved here, Dominik was really struggling with speaking and learning English," teammate (and freshman) Billy Wampler said. "He still can't pronounce some words correctly, but he laughs at himself, which is the best part about it. He accepts the fact that he knows he is not perfect at English."

Teammates were surprised by his agility and ability to run the court and jump. His athleticism and large frame provides the team with a big presence on the inside that many other teams in the Missouri Valley Conference do not have. But, there are a few physical aspects of the game Olejniczak is still adjusting to.

"The game is a lot more physical and quick here," Olejniczak said. "As a big man, I struggle with a couple of the defensive aspects. I have the most problems when guarding because you cannot use your hands, which all people in Europe do, you have to use your chest. So, I am getting used to that now."

"Dominik has made huge improvements since moving to America," head coach Ray Giacoletti said. "Everything is new, from learning English and understanding the American game. Every day he is faced with many adjustments and they are all coming together now."

Teammate Reed Timmer mentioned that, like all freshmen, the biggest adjustment is getting used to the game and knowing how hard you have to play in every practice and game.

That adjustment became visible midway through the MVC season as Olejniczak scored a then career-high 14 points against Missouri State. That outburst came during a recent seven-game span in which he made 74.2 percent of his shots and averaged 8.7 points per game. He closed the month of January out with back-to-back games of eight points, four rebounds and two blocks against Illinois State and Bradley. That showing earned him his first two collegiate starts against UNI and Wichita State.

Timmer expects performances like that to signify and upward trend for Olejniczak as he puts in hours of extra work to develop his game.

"He will come to the gym with us late at night and early in the morning just to get better," Timmer said. "He has a great work ethic which will really help him, especially as time goes on and he gets a feel for the game. It's a lot different than in Europe. The game is more physical in America than Europe. He will be able to adjust and keep growing as a player, he has a great upside."

Off the court, Olejniczak is studying advertising. Although he does not know which direction that degree will lead him yet, he plans on finding a job related to his area of study once his basketball career has ended.

"I chose advertising because I thought it would be a good fit for me and would include a good amount of technology use and experience," Olejniczak said. "It was also a good fit because my advisor [Dorothy Pisarski] speaks fluent Polish, which is very helpful."

Being away from his friends and family in Poland has been the one of the biggest challenges and they keep in touch through Skype.

"My family is 2,500 miles away so it's not like I can go home every weekend," Olejniczak said. "I haven't been home since June and I won't be back home until May, so it is like 10 months without seeing my family and friends."

Lucky for Olejniczak, he has found a new set of friends and family who are there for him, helping him with each adjustment whether it be on or off the court.

"The team is like a brotherhood," Olejniczak said. "I have been on a couple of teams before and I have never been on a team like this where they are so close. Maybe it is because we see each other everyday on campus and in practice, but it is nice. We have to have a good relationship and be like one person otherwise we can't work in games and practices. It is really nice that we have good chemistry."