SMU sophomore Zahra King averages 15 PPG and dropped 40 at Pitt, emerging as one of the ACC’s most efficient guards.
When SMU needed a steady hand, Zahra King didn’t blink. The 5-10 sophomore guard arrived in Dallas determined to matter.
“When opportunities come and knock on your door, you have to be able to be prepared and take them,” King said via SMUMustangs.com. “I think that’s what I was ready to do.”
She just didn’t know that preparation would mean learning point guard on the fly after injuries reshuffled the roster.
Now, with two games left in the regular season, King is the Mustangs’ leading scorer at 15 points per game and has caught fire over the last 13 contests, averaging 17.8.
The surge began with a 21-point, five-steal effort against Georgia Tech and hasn’t slowed. She’s posted 20-plus in six games - five in ACC play - while stacking 25 of her 47 steals and 24 of her 43 assists during that stretch.
King is shooting 44.9 percent from the field, trailing only Notre Dame standouts Hannah Hidalgo and Cassandre Prosper among ACC guards.
The twist is she prefers playing off the ball.
“It’s been a little bit of a challenge that I’ve been working through,” King said. “I think at the end of the day, it’s going to make me grow and get better. But playing out of position … I like playing off the ball and letting the game come to me… But now in a point guard role, you have to set up your teammates… That may not be you going and scoring the ball at that exact moment.”
Growth arrived in a flash on Jan. 18 at Pitt, when King delivered a 40-point masterpiece in SMU’s first ACC road win.
With family in the crowd, she shot 11-of-19, drilled 7-of-12 from 3 and hit 11-of-13 free throws.
“I knew deep in my heart that I wanted to play well for (my family),” she said. “I didn’t realize that I was scoring at that efficient clip until I looked up at the scoreboard.”
She poured in 29 after halftime.
“I knew I was in the groove… They kept kind of going under screens, and I just pulled behind the screen and hit the shot.”
Head coach Adia Barnes has helped refine the chaos.
“Coach Adia has helped me slow the game down,” King said. “She’s teaching me nuances… She’s also telling me that it’s OK when I am making these mistakes.
“I love the fact that she believes in me and has the trust in me,” King added. “Establishing that trust with Coach Adia… has meant a lot.”
From Cal reserve to SMU floor general, Zahra King isn’t just adjusting ... she’s ascending.