Zach Pancratz and Craig Reichel each won state championships as freshmen at Schaumburg High School. As they try to do the same this year, they both are missing key ingredients – their brothers.

Mark Pancratz and Brandon Reichel were seniors on the Saxons 2001 Class-AA state championship team that upset top-ranked Thornwood with current Chicago Bulls player Eddy Curry. Both served as mentors to their younger siblings.

“You really learn from what they do and the way they play, and it only makes you better by living with them because you see them every day,” said Zach Pancratz, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard.

“It was fun for me because my brother and I were real good friends, and it was just fun with us seeing each other all the time,” said Craig Reichel, a 6-foot-9 post player.

Mark Pancratz is now at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, while Brandon Reichel is currently at Carthage College. Both are continuing their basketball careers at the college level.

As freshmen at Schaumburg, Zach Pancratz and Craig Reichel were in the nine-man rotation coach Bob Williams used.

With a 19-4 record, Schaumburg will attempt to duplicate its 2001 feat beginning with a game against Maine West on March 2 in the first round of the state tournament.

“[Zach and Craig] are probably better because of having the older brothers,” Williams said. “They have a little more savvy, and they do a few more things because they followed in their brother’s footsteps, but they learned.

“All those things we had a few years ago is there again, but we’ve still got some things we’ve got to accomplish, but we could make a run like that. You just don’t know.”