She stands at five-feet-eight-inches and speaks with a slight southern drawl. Even though she just turned 18 just two months ago, she seems older than her age.
But Kimberly Beck is just a freshman. And at the same time, she’s not just any freshman. As a rookie point guard, she is the floor leader of the GW women’s basketball team.
She has started 18 of 19 games for the Colonials, leading the Atlantic 10 in assists (5.16 per game) and assist to turnover ratio (2.09). Coaches already say Beck is one of the league’s best defensive guards, and her statistics prove it. She is averaging more than 2.5 steals per game – the third best in the A-10 – and has been named conference Rookie of the Week four times.
“I have been in amazement on how well she has played all year,” GW head coach Joe McKeown said. “She has played a lot of minutes against a lot of pressure, against a lot of good teams and a lot of great guards, and she has held her own and then some in every situation.”
So how did a freshman become a starter and league standout almost overnight? In addition to her skills, she has been pressed into duty due to point guard Amanda LoCascio’s injuries. Beck plays 33 minutes per game, while LoCascio has played in only nine games this year.
Still, Beck’s play is not just due to necessity. As a young player, McKeown said she has displayed leadership, toughness and a swagger that carries over off the court.
“She has that air of confidence that you need have to be really good at this level,” he said. “It’s not something you can teach, it’s just something that she has. She doesn’t get rattled, she’s fearless, and that could take you a long way. She is mature beyond her years as far as basketball IQ.”
Beck played high school basketball at the Woodward Academy on the outskirts of Atlanta, where she became an All-State point guard. Beck finished her career at Woodward with more than 1,000 points and 800 assists.
Beck’s college decision came down to GW and Furman, but in the end, the choice was easy.
“The team really drew me here to GW. It wasn’t like ‘go out and play basketball and then go to your separate rooms.’ They were really together for 24 hours,” Beck said. “They had such good team chemistry and it was just how they acted and they were fun to be with.”
Despite her apparent seamless transition, the adjustment to the college game was not easy.
“It’s definitely been a big change from high school,” Beck said. “The central focus here is basketball. In high school it was just like go out there and hope you win. Here it’s about winning.”
Her toughness and will to win is an extension of her family. Kimberly is the daughter of Shyril Beck, a single mother who is a legal assistant.
“I don’t think me being a single mother made her a better player,” Shyril Beck said. “She got a great background and foundation at Woodward from the coaching staff.”
“I haven’t been surprised by her early success,” Shryil added. “I really expected her to soar. I just didn’t expect it this early.”
According to her teammates, early success has not gotten to Beck’s head. That confidence, that swagger, attracts people to her.
“(She’s) a person you can talk to,” freshman roommate Sarah-Jo Lawrence said. “She is a person everyone wants to be around and she is fun.”
Lawrence, who has had her ups and downs on the court this season, said it has made it easier to be on the court with Beck.
“I feel more comfortable when she is on the court because she takes over,” Lawrence said. “She is the floor general out there, always directing us where to go. She has been a great positive influence and leader, especially for me.”
One of the biggest adjustments for Beck has been playing with senior All-American candidate Anna Monta?ana, who has a penchant for throwing spectacular no-look behind the back passes.
“It’s easier than it looks,” Beck mused.
But even after a couple of botched plays early in the season, the two have grown comfortable on the court together by hooking up on several highlight reel plays.
“I enjoy playing the game with her because she knows the game,” Monta?ana said. “We don’t have to say much to each other on the court because she has learned to play with me.”
“She is the typical pure point guard, she has quickness, she is smart on the court and she guards people. Now she just has to believe she is great,” Monta?ana added. “She has qualities that are natural. She plays with a lot of courage and a lot of character. Not all point guards have her skill, so she can be dominant.”
The Colonials have done better than many expected this season. At 14-7, they sit in third place in the A-10 West.
“We keep playing the way we’ve been playing, I think we will really have a chance to go into the NCAA Tournament and not only go in it but actually go deep in the tournament,” Beck said. “We’ve been clicking at the right time. With the A-10 Tournament at home, we will get a step up because we play really well at home.”
McKeown expects that things will only getter for Beck as his young Colonial team matures and fills the gaps left by departing seniors.
Beck has set her own goals.
“When I leave I want to be better than when I got here,” she said. “I hope and expect that we will make the NCAA Tournament every year.”
