Stallworth wants UK Hoops to step up in 2013-14

UK+head+coach+Matthew+Mitchell+gets+DeNesha+Stallworth+fired+up+during+the+first+half+of+the+UK+hoops+game+versus+Eckerd+College+at+Memorial+Coliseum+in+Lexington%2C+Ky.%2C+on+Sunday%2C+November%2C+3%2C+2013.+Photo+by+Jonathan+Krueger

UK head coach Matthew Mitchell gets DeNesha Stallworth fired up during the first half of the UK hoops game versus Eckerd College at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky., on Sunday, November, 3, 2013. Photo by Jonathan Krueger

By Tyler Spanyer | UK Hoops beat writer

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After transferring from the University of California-Berkley, senior forward DeNesha Stallworth has found her niche at UK.

Now, the preseason All-SEC selection is demanding more from herself and more from her teammates.

Stallworth is returning as UK’s leading scorer looking to make an impact on the game every play.

“I am just trying to be more consistent and help out my teammates more by not taking those plays off or taking games off,” Stallworth said in October. “That is my main focus, consistency and working hard for my team.”

After a junior season averaging 12.5 points and six rebounds per game, Stallworth was named First Team All-SEC and helped lead the Cats to their third Elite Eight appearance in four years.

Stallworth wants more.

“SEC Champions, (SEC) Tournament Champions, Final Four, National Champions,” Stallworth said. “We are trying to do it all.”

Stallworth has been named to several major award preseason watch lists including the Wade, Wooden and Senior CLASS awards.

The Wade award is considered the “Heisman” of women’s basketball. Despite all this Stallworth doesn’t want to be a star of this team.

“We are a team and we don’t need a star to achieve our goals,” she said.

UK Hoops head coach Matthew Mitchell knows that he already has an established leader on his team.

“DeNesha is the most gifted player on this team,” Mitchell said.

Even with such compliments from her coach, Stallworth doesn’t feel the pressure.

“When he says things like that, it is something that players should believe in,” she said at media day last month.

“I will take full responsibility in doing that and trying to get better for my team,” she said later.

Stallworth is the second consecutive UK player to be named to both the preseason Wade Award and Wooden Award watch list, joining former All-American and top-10 draft pick A’dia Mathiess.

Mitchell believes Stallworth has the potential to be even better.

“She has the potential and talent to be a top-three draft pick,” Mitchell said. “My job is just making sure we maximize her potential.”

Stallworth showed her versatility in UK’s recent exhibition win over Eckerd College. She tallied 17 points on six-of-10 shooting from the field and grabbed five of her six rebounds on the offensive glass.

“We need, as a coaching staff, to make sure we are doing a good job of getting her touches,” Mitchell said. “She needs the basketball in her hands.”

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