Prospect Watch: Keisha Watkins (2020)
One of the top hidden gems in the city of St. Louis is Class of 2020 combo guard Keisha Watkins of Northwest Academy of Transportation and Law. The 5’8″ Watkins has been one of the top players in the Public…
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Continue ReadingOne of the top hidden gems in the city of St. Louis is Class of 2020 combo guard Keisha Watkins of Northwest Academy of Transportation and Law.
The 5’8″ Watkins has been one of the top players in the Public High League for the past two seasons. She plays multiple roles for the Hornets as a scorer, rebounder and facilitator and overall team leader. Her overall talent has gotten her collegiate interest from schools such as UT-Arlington, William Jewell, Augusta University, York College, Carlow University and Southwestern College.
As many things as Watkins does well on the court, it is defensive prowess that really stands out. She loves to play defense and it shows in her 6.93 steals a game, which is among the best in the St. Louis metro area.
“I take a lot of pride in my defensive ability,” she said. “Nobody likes to get scored on and if I can take their leader out of the game of slow them up mentally it changes their game plan. Balance is the key to a great defensive stance and guarding the ball. If you lose your balance, you are going to get beat.”
Through 15 games this season, Watkins is averaging a team-high 16.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and two assists along with her nearly seven steals a game. As a junior, she averaged 18.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.22 steals a game. As well as leading the team in multiple categories, she has emerged as a team leader during the past few seasons.
“Managing a team is not that simple,” she said. “Leaders have to play a far more hands-on role to make sure the group works well together and remains focused on the right priorities.”
As she approaches the home stretch of her career, Watkins’ major goal is to lead her team on a successful run during the postseason.
“My No. 1 goal for the rest of the season is to help lead my team to a district championship,” she said. “And of course, push as far as we can go after that. In addition, I want to finish No. 1 in the area in steals.”