Wright State recruit Pacher works on versatility

pringfield's Zack Burks tries to put up a shot under pressure from Butler's Trey Clements, left, and AJ Pacher during Wednesday's Division I sectional game at UD Arena.

Bill Lackey/Bill Lackey pringfield's Zack Burks tries to put up a shot under pressure from Butler's Trey Clements, left, and AJ Pacher during Wednesday's Division I sectional game at UD Arena.

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By Kyle Nagel, Staff Writer Updated 10:36 PM Friday, December 25, 2009

VANDALIA — Plenty of tools have helped Vandalia Butler High School’s A.J. Pacher became a Wright State basketball recruit.

One of the first was the pair of goggles blacked out at the bottom to ensure players can’t watch their hands during dribbling drills. Coaches stressed ball-handling to the now-6-foot-9 Pacher, so much that he was a 6-3 point guard in the eighth grade.

There’s also the device that catches the ball in a net under the basket and returns it to him during numerous shooting drills to keep his outside touch.

Most important, perhaps, is the cell phone Pacher uses to regularly text Butler coach Jeff Kreill to get into the Vandalia Student Activity Center and work on his game.

All of those have combined to make Pacher an inside player with outside skills and another in an impressive line of big men to come through Butler in the past decade.

Along with Pacher, Butler also boasts 6-9 sophomore Taylor Decker and 6-9 and 6-8 players on the junior varsity team. They follow the school’s former pair of 7-footers, Seth Gorney and Josh Higgins.

“We ask A.J. to do everything,” Kreill said. “He helps us break the press. He’s one of our better 3-point shooters. And, he can post up.”

Now, Pacher is working on turning around Butler’s recent fate before he leaves for WSU’s Fairborn campus. Entering this season, the Aviators had a combined 22-62 record the past four years. This year, behind Pacher’s 18.2 points and 11.8 boards per game, Butler has started 4-2.

“I love being out there every single night,” said Pacher, who also is a former youth quarterback. “And I love working at it, just trying to get better every chance I get.”

Pacher is a Vandalia native, growing up with tall relatives on his mother’s side of family. One uncle is 6-11 and played college basketball at Gannon University in Pennsylvania.

Pacher’s father had a small court built in the family’s backyard when Pacher was in elementary school, and he has gone as far as shoveling the snow from the cement to shoot in the winter.

Combining those skills with his 6-9, 225-pound frame, Pacher is ready to use some simpler gadgets in preparation for Wright State — free weights.

“I just have to get as big as I can before practice starts,” Pacher said. “Once this year ends I just really have to hit the weight room, four times a week at least, to get ready for the next opportunity.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com

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