Confidence equals consistency for Kylee Norkus.
That’s the formula the Neuqua Valley senior is using to unlock her considerable athletic talent, and few opponents have found a way to stop her.
“Being a varsity starter for four years straight, you have to have confidence,” Norkus said. “You have to be fearless, and I feel like I’ve grown on that the past couple of years.
“It’s really helped me be a great basketball player and help my teammates be better players on and off the basketball court.”
The 5-foot-11 Norkus is listed as a guard, but she can play any position at any time. Sometimes it seems she’s in two places at once.
Norkus, an Evansville recruit, demonstrated that Thursday against visiting Naperville Central. She scored on a drive 10 seconds into the DuPage Valley Conference game and just kept going, hitting six shots in the first half and 10 of 16 overall to lead the Wildcats to a 69-39 victory.
“Ridiculous, isn’t it?” Neuqua Valley coach Mike Williams said. “She’s just nonstop, and it’s been that way for four years. She’s just a pleasure to have.”
With her all-around game and boundless enthusiasm, Norkus is a joy to be around, according to her teammates.
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“Kylee was one of the first people to welcome me to the team last year,” sophomore guard Nalia Clifford said. “She’s always been a leader for me, but even more so on the court.
“I overheard coach Williams saying she’s going a million miles a minute. She’s all over the place on the court.”
The statistics bear that out. Norkus finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists for the Wildcats (15-9, 6-1), who beat the Redhawks (10-16, 2-5) for the second time this season. Neuqua Valley senior guard Caitlin Washington scored a game-high 22 points to go with four assists and three steals, and freshman guard Emerson Burke paced Naperville Central with 10 points.
Norkus’ numbers are pretty typical for her. Even on the rare nights when her shot is off, she affects the game, turning steals into fast-break opportunities.
“Whether it’s a good game or a bad game, she always makes up for whatever it is on defense,” Clifford said. “She gets more deflections than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
Norkus is known for her dizzying hustle. She makes the Roadrunner seem like a slowpoke.
Where does Norkus get her energy and enthusiasm?
“That’s everyone that’s driven me in basketball,” she said. “This goes back to Scott Doyle, who was my first travel AAU coach at Basketball Paradise, and then playing Midwest Elite against the best of the best.
“You’re going to have off games, but you’ve got to have that positive mindset. I want to make everyone around me the best player they can be, the best person they can be. I feel like a combination of all of that has really helped me become who I am and where I’ve been.”
The Wildcats won the DVC title and went to the Class 4A sectional semifinals last season. Norkus wants at least a repeat of that, and if the Wildcats play like they did Thursday, anything is possible.
“I’m really excited,” Norkus said. “I’ve been helping the younger girls out with training outside of our practices, and I feel like that’s translating on the court.
“We’re very comfortable with each other. We know how each other plays and our styles. That’s helping each of us set each other up for success.”
For all of her individual success, Norkus takes just as much pride in seeing her teammates succeed.
“She celebrates more for anyone else rather than herself,” Clifford said. “If I do something that’s not necessarily noticeable, like I didn’t get a steal but I got a trap, she always lets me know it’s a good job. She notices me.”
While the Wildcats won’t be favored to win the tough 4A Oswego Sectional, they are making opponents take notice.
“The nice thing is we’re starting to jell at the right time,” Williams said. “Obviously, it’s going to be tough in the playoffs, but we’ve got a great leader. I don’t want to play us if we’re playing like this.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.