Guerin junior Kiara Stallworth entered high school as a 5-foot-6 point guard, but for her first two varsity seasons coach Karl Frixen needed her to play in the post for the undersized Gators.
Stallworth was less than thrilled with the idea.
“My freshman year I felt like, ‘He has me in the post, and I’m not a post player. This is going to kill me,'” Stallworth said. “But whatever coach needs me for, I can handle it.”
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Stallworth moved back to the perimeter this season and with the benefit of hindsight, she now values the two seasons she spent roaming the paint for the Gators.
“As a guard, you see the whole floor in front of you,” she said. “Having played the post, now I know what the post players are supposed to be setting up for. So as a guard, now I have a better insight.”
Stallworth is second on the team in scoring and rebounding this season for a Gators team that improved to 13-12 with a 51-46 win over Timothy Christian on Jan. 26.
She is averaging roughly 10 points per game, playing on the perimeter offensively but still guarding post players on the defensive end of the floor whenever needed.
“Players in the post are obviously way bigger than I am, so it can be difficult at times,” Stallworth said. “But even though I’m not as tall as they are, I have the muscle and body weight to compete. And I’m not as tall, but I’m quicker.”
When Stallworth entered Guerin, Frixen saw a skill set that has allowed her to shine in multiple ways.
“She gets off the floor well, she’s strong, and I knew she’d be able to get rebounds for us,” Frixen said. “Ultimately, she was happy to help us out to give us a post presence when we needed it.
“Now as a perimeter player, she sees the floor well and helps us handle it when teams are pressing us. She makes good decisions and she has hit some big shots for us.”
In a double-overtime win over Lisle this season, Stallworth led the Gators with 13 points. Despite her ability to score, Stallworth said she most enjoys creating opportunities for teammates.
“I was eager to get back to the guard position, because you have the ball in your hands more as a guard,” Stallworth said. “As a guard you have to help guide others, and that’s what I like about it.”
Stallworth believes the Gators can continue to improve heading into the Class 2A playoffs.
“I see improvement this year. Last year, we won five games total,” she said. “We still have untapped talent and I think with time, that will come along. The team is becoming one together instead of playing an individual game. We’re learning what the meaning of basketball actually is.”
Frixen is just happy he has her for another year.
“She is one of the easiest players to coach,” he said. “She’s always happy and always pointing out the positive things, which everybody loves about her. She’s a real team player.”
Gary Larsen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press