Transition game: Trio of area basketball standouts making jump to college competition

 article and images from Commercial Appeal

Future college basketball players, there is some great information in this article about life as a college basketball player.

For Kaylah Keys, the “a-ha” moment came when her High Point women’s basketball team traveled to Chapel Hill in late December to face a North Carolina team ranked 14th in the nation.
The Harding Academy freshman quickly realized she wasn’t in high school any more.

“I shot 1 for 18 and scored six points,” she said with a laugh. “That was probably my most embarrassing moment. They had so many freakish athletes and we were just getting our shots blocked all over the place.

“That was the biggest eye-opener.”

There are going to be games like that for just about every freshman, even one as talented as Keys, who graduated from Harding as the school’s all-time career scoring leader, male or female.
But she and a pair of other standouts from the Class of 2013, Central’s Nina Davis and Jonathan Stark of Munford, are making the jump look pretty easy.

Although take it from them, it’s not.

“Probably one of the hardest things is just being away from home,” said Davis, a three-time Best of the Preps player of the year who has made an immediate impact for No. 7 Baylor, ranking second on the team in scoring (14.2) while leading in rebounding (7.8).

“You have to grow up really fast because your parents aren’t around to do everything for you. That’s a major part of it; you just have to learn to be a lot more responsible.”

Stark — who has started all 17 of Tulane’s games while averaging 16.8 points, second-best on the team — said preparation is the key.

“I got here in late May, pretty much right after graduation,” he said. “They wanted to rush me into it, getting used to the system. I spent a lot of time watching extra film.

“I had to get adjusted mighty quick (but) the coaches have shown a lot of confidence in me. Coach (Ed) Conroy has put the ball in my hands and he’s given me a lot of freedom.”

But — like Keys — Stark said there have been games where the step up in competition has been dramatic.

“We played Kansas State and their guards were just as quick as I am but a lot more physical,” he said. “The biggest difference here from high school is that the game is 40 minutes long and anything can happen. Every loose ball, every play matters.”

The change in physicality is perhaps even more pronounced in women’s basketball, as Davis points out.

“Weights, definitely that’s a major part of (preparation),” she said. “In high school, you would lift weights but not really. Everyone here is way stronger.

“And practices are more intense; in high school, we’d go hard for maybe 30 minutes or so but (now) there are no breaks.”

College practices required an altogether different kind of adjustment for Keys, who leads High Point in scoring at 16.6 per game and was named Big South freshman of the week three straight times in December.

“The biggest adjustment is time management,” she said. “We usually practice in the morning, so it’s important to get plenty of rest. During the fall semester, we practiced from 6:45 (a.m.) until 9.
“We never did anything like that at Harding; everything was after school. It’s a good thing though because then you have the rest of the day for school and you don’t have to worry.”

And the attention to detail required to succeed in college also takes some getting used to.
“Real small details are important,” said Stark. “Things like putting both feet behind the baseline (on a throw-in) or catching the ball with two hands instead of one. ... They’re small things but they mean a lot and they help you win.”

Off the court, perhaps the biggest adjustment comes in the classroom. Stark’s Green Wave team has constant meetings about academics — “you have to stay on your feet” — and despite doing well at a college prep school like Harding, Keys admits she had “a pretty slow start academically.”

Life on the road can be a grind, as well.

“The travel is hard, especially now that we’re in conference play,” Davis said. “You’re traveling every couple of days and you really have to take care of your body.

“And the crowds ... here in Waco we have like 6,000 or 7,000 people a night; it’s a lot different from high school from when there’d be just a couple hundred in the stands.”

But for every eye-opening experience, there have also been plenty of instances that show the players they belong. Davis’ breakthrough came in Baylor’s only loss of the season, an epic 133-130 four-overtime affair against Kentucky.

“That really gave me a lot of confidence, knowing I could do that against players who are going to play in the WNBA,” she said. “I’ve always been confident but I guess I’ve shocked a lot of people. I always knew I’d do well — that it would come eventually — but it’s happened so fast.”

Here’s a closer look at Memphians from the Class of 2013 who are making the biggest impact as college basketball freshmen. All stats are through Tuesday’s games.

Nina Davis

Nina Davis, Baylor (Central High): Averaging 14.2 points (second on the team) and 7.8 rebounds (first) for the 14-2 Lady Bears, who area ranked No. 7 in the nation. ... Shooting 64.2 percent from the floor, first in the Big 12 and second nationally. ... Leads all Big 12 freshmen in scoring.

Kaylah Keys

Kaylah Keys, High Point (Harding): Named Big South Conference freshman of the week three straight times (Dec. 2-16). ... Leading team in scoring (16.6), free-throw percentage (80.8) and 3-pointers (36 of 104). ... Has led team in scoring in eight of 16 games.