Developing an outside shot has been a focal point for Clarkdale junior Kam Patrick this season. Patrick is averaging approximately 20 points per game for the Lady Bulldogs.

Kam Patrick’s ability to drive to the basket was something she developed out of necessity.

Coming from an extended family who loved basketball, Patrick started playing the sport at a young age when she faced her siblings and cousins in pickup games. 

“I grew up the shortest and the youngest, so the only thing I had was my speed to the goal and being able to outrun them,” Patrick recalled.

Little did she know, those many hours playing recreationally as a child ended up paying off by the time she got to high school. A junior at Clarkdale, Patrick is averaging approximately 20 points per game for the Lady Bulldogs, and she also reached two milestones this season. Against Raleigh on Dec. 7, Patrick scored a career-high 29 points, and she also exceeded 1,000 career points on Dec. 30 against West Lauderdale.

Patrick credited those many pickup games with her family for helping develop her into the player she is now. They’re also some of her fondest basketball memories, as she learned to love the game at a young age thanks to playing it so often as a child.

“I remember playing on the concrete, fighting for the ball and trying to stay on my feet mostly,” Patrick said. “I would have scratched up knees 24/7, and I remember coming in the house in dirt and sweat and getting to gloat to my brothers and sisters.”

What’s impressive to Clarkdale girls basketball coach Cindy Kasper, though, is Patrick scoring so much despite being the opposite of a ball hog. Kasper said Patrick is constantly looking for an open teammate, so much so that she occasionally has to tell Patrick not to pass up a shot if she has a good look.

“We always tell her there are times we need her to shoot, but she’s always telling me, ‘She’s open, Coach,’” Kasper said. “She’s very humble, and she’s a team player. She’s my captain, and the other girls really look up to her.”

She might like to score — especially if it’s driving to the basket — but Kasper said she feels most rewarded when her teammates do something special.

“Points win ball games, and I definitely understand that, but when my teammates score a basket for the first time or get a good steal or stuff like that, it’s more important to see the happiness on your teammates’ faces than scoring points,” Patrick explained.

In addition to Patrick’s unselfishness, Kasper said her skills as a player stand out on the court, and it’s something she first noticed back when Kasper was coaching Patrick in middle school.

“She’s one of those players who came in already having basic skills, and over the years her ball handling has gotten a lot better,” Kasper said. “She’s always been a fast, speedy player, and her decision-making on the court has improved a lot, too.”

Developing an outside shot has been a focal point for Patrick this season, and Kasper said she’s been pleased with Patrick’s progress in becoming a more versatile scorer.

“She doesn’t always take (the outside shot) when she needs to, but it’s starting to come around, and she is making some of those shots,” Kasper said. “She prefers to go in because she has the speed to do that, and she knows how to maneuver around other players, but I told her the next step to develop her overall game is getting that outside game going.”

While she’s not satisfied with her outside game’s progress, Patrick said she has noticed improvement in her 3-point shot.

“I’ve come a long way, and I still need to go a very long way,” Patrick said. “All you can do is practice and call on your family or anyone you can to help you out. They’ll either talk trash or inspire and motivate you.”

For now, Patrick said she’s thrilled to have achieved the 1,000 career points and single-game high milestones, and her goals going forward are to get better alongside her teammates and win as many games as possible.

“I feel very blessed,” Patrick said. “I give all the glory to God, and I didn’t think (1,000 points) was possible until she literally told me the day before.”

Kasper said she’s grateful to have Patrick for one more season after this one and said despite seeing her score in double figures countless times, it still sometimes surprises her when Patrick has 20 points or more a game given how much Patrick tries to keep her teammates involved in the offense.

“A lot of times I don’t realize she’s scored that many until I look at the scorebook after the game,” Kasper said. “She’s not one that’s going to go down the court and just continuously look for the shot. She’s never been like that. She’s one of those players every coach dreams of being able to coach. She’s just a remarkable person who’s always giving everyone else credit. She’s one-of-a-kind, really.”