Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 28, 1993 TAG: 9301280332
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
WAITING GAME
IT'S been more than 10 months since University of Virginia guard Tammi Reiss hustled up to Cave Spring's Kim Stewart and asked for her autograph.Stewart was coming off the floor after a loss to Phoebus in the Group AAA girls' state basketball semifinals. Stewart had enjoyed her best day ever as a player. She hit 7-of-10 shots from 3-point range and finished with a career-high 27 points.
"I should have asked for her autograph," said Stewart about her reaction to the suddenly-accorded celebrity status from the Cavaliers star, who was one of the reasons Virginia was ranked No. 1 in women's collegiate basketball at the time.
Then Stanford sent a recruiting letter to Stewart after the Cardinal had won the NCAA women's championship.
For Stewart, who was a second-team All-Group AAA and first-team All-Timesland pick as a junior, the future had a nice ring to it. Her efforts at playing basketball since she was 6 years old were paying off.
"My dad [Joe Stewart] played on the first Patrick Henry team," said Stewart. "He sort of pushes me. He just wants me to be the best player. He wants me to be working constantly on my game."
Stewart, a senior, is the second-leading scorer for the Knights, who lead the Roanoke Valley District and hope to earn another chance at winning the Group AAA state title.
While there have been no more 27-point games this year, point guard Stewart is the leader of a team that has most of the same cast, minus All-Timesland Lisa Hodges, back from last year's team.
Cave Spring heads into the exam break with a 14-2 mark with Stewart averaging 16.1 points a game. The only losses have come in a Christmas tournament to South Greene, Tenn., a team that is ranked by USA Today in the nation's top 10 teams, and Albemarle. Cave Spring has a nine-game win streak.
Stewart's rise as a basketball player came from hard work. Linda Long, the Cave Spring coach who also was Stewart's mentor at Hidden Valley, has pushed Stewart to improve.
"We put Kim on a summer program after her sophomore year. She attempted free throws, ran, jumped rope and worked on her moves," said Long.
"At first, it [the extra work] was just for Stewart. Some other girls started doing it. But Kim is totally dedicated to basketball."
"I'd work 1 1/2 hours a day during the week," said Stewart of the extra drills. "Three days I'd lift weights. This was a big reason [for my success] last year."
There have been few other interests athletically for Stewart at Cave Spring. She played on recreation soccer teams at one time and plays tennis for recreation, though she might be good enough to make the Knights' team if she tried out during the fall.
"We have a basket in the yard and I've played every day since third grade," said Stewart about her dedication. "Sometimes I think I spend too much time at basketball. It's a good release to get away from school and other pressures."
What has happened, though, is that the colleges aren't calling like everyone expected them to do this year.
"We've kind of come to a standstill," admitted Long.
North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Georgetown and William and Mary have all shown an interest. There was no follow-up from Stanford.
Long says Stewart's height, 5 feet 5, seems to be a drawback. It's disheartening for Stewart, who has played on AAU teams with 5-7 guard Sherry Banks, who was signed last fall by Virginia Tech.
"Coaches [in college] want guards who are 5-8. Kim is a 5-5 guard who can play Division I. We just need to get her in the right program. I think Kim is disillusioned about them not looking at her," said Long.
Stewart hasn't even thought about playing in Division III if she doesn't get a scholarship offer. She wants to play Division I in a major conference.
"I guess my height has something to do with it, but you look at Dawn Staley [a 5-5 point guard who led Virginia to the Final Four the past three years]. Most college coaches I've talked to say they're looking for inside people," said Stewart.
"Georgia Tech is the only one who has raised a question about my size. I'm still talking to them. I'm a little bit upset about this. But I want to go to one of the bigger, more prestigious conferences."
Stewart wants to return to the state tournament, but not so that college scouts will get another peek at her talents and say height makes no difference.
"They've seen me play numerous times and they know what I can do. That's what they'll go on. I want to go back and win the state," said Stewart.
Was the day Stewart scored 27 points, hit 7-of-10 tries from 3-point range and signed an autograph for Reiss the high point of her career?
"No, when we beat [nationally-ranked] James Madison the week before, that was the biggest moment. I was on an emotional high. I was floating. No one thought we could do it," said Stewart.