Despite size, play of Myrtle Beach’s Walker looms large

It isn’t often that the shortest person in the room is the one standing tallest.

Nevertheless, Myrtle Beach’s Keocia Walker has done just that, the 4-foot-10 senior point guard again proving that size is not necessarily a measure of one’s heart.

“She just gives 100 percent every night,” said Myrtle Beach girls basketball coach Jennifer Dennison. “(Walker) has hustle and heart. She tends to look to pass first, then score; qualities of a natural born leader looking to make her teammates better.”

Walker’s numbers reflect this perfectly, scoring 8 points per game, while also getting fellow Seahawks players in on the action with an average of 4.6 assists. She isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty either, averaging 3.7 rebounds and 3.5 steals a game.

The diminutive point guard certainly has a way of leaving quite the imprint on a basketball game, affecting it in nearly every facet. But when her family moved to the area from Georgia during the 2013-14 school term, Walker significantly questioned her love for the game.

“When I first got here, I don’t think I was all that confident in my abilities,” she said. “I remember telling my mom that I didn’t want to play. But that all kind of changed when I started getting a chance to play.”

Admittedly, Dennison was not sure what to expect the first time Walker stepped onto the floor of the Myrtle Beach High School gym.

“I looked at her height, and wondered if she cold pay basketball,” the coach said. “But it didn’t take me long to figure out how good she was.”

Walker did not immediately see playing time in her sophomore season. However, she would eventually see spot minutes off the bench before earning a spot in the Seahawks’ starting lineup.

That season, Walker was named a Class AAA All-State performer by members of the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association.

While she has not received such an honor the past two years, she has played a significant role in teammates Kiana Adderton and Nia Sumpter earning similar distinction.

“Nia is a go-getter, while Kiana is kind of laid back, wanting the ball if she is open but not showing it as much,” Walker said. “My job is to feed them. … But to be honest, I didn’t think I would have the impact that I have, but I’m certainly blessed to be a part of a team like this.”

Aside from her teammates, likely no one is more happy to have Walker than her head coach.

“I tell her all the time that she’s the point guard, that I need her to run the floor like a quarterback does a football team,” Dennison said. “But she not only serves as a leader on the court, she does so off the court as well.

“Keocia has an excellent GPA and did well on her ACT. She will attend Converse College on a basketball scholarship after she graduates. All her teammates look to her and respect her, and the impact that she’s had on this program is something many will remember for years to come.”

There is, though, one game left to play.

Walker and her Myrtle Beach teammates make the trek to the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia on Saturday, the Seahawks set to take on top-ranked Dreher in the Class AAA title game.

When all is said and done this weekend, the Myrtle Beach standout hopes she – as well as her team – will be standing tall, looking down on the state as the unquestioned best in girls hoops.

“To be honest, to be playing for state is unbelievable,” Walker said. “But this has always been our goal. I love these girls, and couldn’t think of anyone better to win a championship with.”

This story was originally published March 4, 2016 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Despite size, play of Myrtle Beach’s Walker looms large."