Jan 31, 2019 3 min read

Name: Kaitlyn Rizor

School: West Greene

Sport: Basketball

Class: Senior

Rizor’s week: Needing 12 points to reach the 1,000-point milestone for her high school career, Rizor scored a game-high 16 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had five assists in a 63-17 over Jefferson-Morgan last Thursday.

She was the 18th person in school history to reach the scoring milestone, including the fourth in the Pioneers’ senior class. Twins Madison and McKenna Lampe reached the feat last season, and boys basketball player Nathan Brudnock did so earlier in this season.

“It was an incredible feeling knowing that all the hard work has paid off,” Rizor said. “My coaches and I talked a little bit about getting there but not a lot. We knew I would get to it at some point this year eventually.”

It was one of three solid games for Rizor last week. She led the Pioneers in a dominating win earlier in the week over California, 65-8, with 20 points and 16 rebounds for a double-double. One day after eclipsing the milestone, Rizor scored 13 points to help defeat Beth-Center, 69-35.

“If I had to pick one word to describe her it would be versatility,” West Greene coach Jordan Watson said. “She is a tough matchup because she can play all five positions on the floor. Her foot speed is too fast for bigger players to keep up with her. Kaitlyn’s ball skills are good enough that she is a tough matchup against other guards.”

Out of necessity: Being able to play all positions wasn’t an overnight transition for Rizor, who was a point guard her freshman and sophomore seasons before changing to a post player for the Pioneers.

At 5-10, the tallest player on West Greene’s roster, Rizor embraced the move to the post, understanding that she wouldn’t touch the basketball as much as she was accustomed to as a guard.

“When I came in as a junior I had to relearn all the plays,” she said. “I tried learning a few post moves. I understood the importance of getting offensive rebounds. I embraced the move because I knew it was where I was needed and could help out the most. It took a lot of work and focus.”

Rizor made the move look smooth in the Pioneers’ up-tempo style, which is geared toward forcing turnovers in their press defense, which leads to scoring in transition. She averaged 12 points and 5.7 rebounds last season. Rizor is leading the team in both points (13.88) and rebounds (6.1) this season.

“It’s huge for her to be able to play the post,” Watson said. “We call her a point-forward. She has to be able to rebound for us. She has a very high basketball IQ and understands how to get in the right spot. She is a tough matchup, especially for anybody in Class A.”