Ava Hyams is a rare breed of a girls’ high school basketball player.
The Kearny High School junior has played a variety of positions for the Kardinals this season, seeing time at forward, off-guard and currently point guard.
More importantly, Hyams provides everything for the Kards, leading the team in points (202), rebounds (129), assists (53) and steals (41). It’s very unique to have one player lead his/her team in all four statistical categories.
And get this? Her head coach, Jody Hill, believes that the best is yet to come from her talented junior.
“I think Ava is just coming into her own now,” Hill said. “I think it’s a little later than what we would have liked. We were put a little bit behind the eight-ball a little early on.”
The Kardinals were delayed by a COVID-19 shutdown, forcing the team to the sidelines for three weeks right as the season just began.
“We then tried Ava out at a few positions,” Hill said. “But she’s our best scorer and our best shooter. We could post her up in the paint. She was our player with the most experience because she plays basketball all year round.”
Hyams didn’t seem to mind the shift in positions.
“At first, I was a little concerned,” Hyams said. “I was a little worried. I think I’m more of an off-guard. That’s where I play AAU. I had worked a lot on my shot over the summer. I felt like I was growing as a player. So I just soaked in all of my basketball experiences and using them to my advantage.”
Hyams embraced the role of being the team’s main point guard and ball handler.
“I can pick up the role of being the point guard pretty easily,” Hyams said. “We don’t have another ball handler. I do take a lot of pride in being able to play anywhere.”
Recently, Hyams has been doing anything and everything to help the Kardinals win. Kearny currently owns a 9-6 record with two straight wins under their belts.
Hyams had a season-high 15 rebounds and six assists in a loss to Hudson Catholic, then followed it up with 18 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals in a win against North Bergen and had 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in an easy win over Barringer last Saturday.
For her efforts, Hyams has been selected as The Observer Athlete of the Week for the past week.
Hyams also enjoyed a 33-point explosion last month against St. Dominic Academy.
“That was crazy,” Hyams said. “I was on Cloud Nine that day. Everything I took was falling.”
Hill is comfortable with the ball in Hyams’ hands.
“She’s back to being the point guard, but she’s more of a scoring point guard,” Hill said. “We were having a tough time getting the ball back to her, so she has to handle it. We had to be more realistic. But she’s playing really well there. It’s clear that she’s really committed to the team. She is showing tremendous balance and leadership. I know she wants to be more of a shooting guard, but this is what is best for the team. She has responded well.”
Hyams is embracing her current status with the Kardinals, especially being the emotional leader.
“I try to motivate everyone,” Hyams said. “I have to be the one. I am an all-over-the-court type player. I’ve also become a better defender. I’m really happy about that.”
Hill believes that Hyams is becoming a better all-around player.
“She’s a worker,” Hill said. “She takes her basketball very seriously. She’s very likeable and outgoing and likes to clown around with her teammates. But when she gets in the gym, she’s all business. She’s dead serious. She tells her teammates that they better come ready to work. She comes into the gym with plans every day of what she wants to do. I see her interacting with her teammates more. She’s become more of a teacher out there. She’s bringing leadership to our program.
Added Hill, “In all honesty, we had to take it all for what it was. We were trying to get it right. She had to put all the games she played in the past and think about the future. She needed that mental toughness and I think that’s something she’s learning. She’s improving there. She just has to stay focused.”
Although she’s only a junior, Hyams is already thinking about the possibility of playing college basketball.
“That is a big goal of mine,” Hyams said of college basketball. “I want to play in college. I think I can prove I’m a (NCAA) Division I player, but it could be D-II or D-III. It doesn’t really matter as long as I’m playing.”
“She will play somewhere for sure,” Hill said. “She wants to play in college, but we’re not focusing on that yet.”
Hyams is also an honor roll student, so getting into the right college should not be an issue next year.
“I’m just trying to focus on the things I’m doing well and get better from that,” Hyams said.
Hyams has enjoyed 11 games where she’s scored 10 points or more and had six games where she grabbed 10 rebounds or more.
“I’m loving my life right now,” Hyams said. “There are days when I’m ready to score the next basket and take the big shot. If I see a defense slacking off on me, I just keep shooting. I just want to keep growing and keep getting better in every aspect. I know I can get there. I’m just beginning to show it.”
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Kearny junior guard Ava Hyams. Photo by Jim Hague
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Jim Hague | Observer Sports Writer
Sports Writer Jim Hague was with The Observer for 20+ years — and his name is one of the most recognizable in all of sports journalism. The St. Peter’s Prep and Marquette alum kicked off his journalism career post Marquette at the Daily Record, where he remained until 1985. Following shorts stints at two other newspapers, in September 1986, he joined the now-closed Hudson Dispatch, where he remained until 1991, when its doors were finally shut.
It was during his tenure at The Dispatch that Hague’s name and reputation as one of country’s hardest-working sports reporters grew. He won several New Jersey Press Association and North Jersey Press Club Awards in that timeframe.
In 1991, he became a columnist for The Hudson Reporter chain of newspapers — and he remains with them to this day.
In addition to his work at The Observer and The Hudson Reporter, Hague is also an Associated Press stringer, where he covers Seton Hall University men’s basketball, New York Red Bulls soccer and occasionally, New Jersey Devils hockey.
He’s also doing work at The Morristown Daily Record, the very newspaper where his journalism career began.
During his career, he also worked for Dorf Feature Services, which provided material for the Star-Ledger. While there, he covered the New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets.
Hague is also known for his announcing work — and he’s done PA work for Rutgers Newark and NJIT.
Hague is the author of the book “Braddock: The Rise of the Cinderella Man.”