Hackbarth won't back down

Kiley Hackbarth is adorable, sweet and yes, tiny.

The 5-foot-3 sophomore point guard on the St. Charles North girls basketball team sure comes off that way, but on the basketball court, well, it's a different story.

Hackbarth is fearless, in-your-face, pesky on defense and takes on any challenge coach Katie Sauber asks her to.

That's perhaps why Sauber called Hackbarth a "firecracker."

"You look at her and think, 'She's so cute,' and then you watch her on the basketball court and she's tough," Sauber said of Hackbarth, who is listed at 5-foot-6. "You look at her and think, 'Sweet little thing.' Don't get me wrong -- she is -- but on the court, all 5-3 of her, you can't take lightly. She's a go-getter and doesn't want to come off the court…there's no messing around when it comes time to basketball with her."

No messing around indeed. Hackbarth has improved on every single aspect of her game since last year, when she was a freshman on varsity.

Last season, Hackbarth averaged 4.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals a game while shooting 59 percent from the free-throw line.

Determined to get those numbers up, Hackbarth worked hard in the off-season so her sophomore year would be even better.

It clearly has, as she's the North Stars' second-leading scorer at 9 points a game. She's shooting 88 percent from the free-throw line, 35 percent from 3-point land and her steals (2.5 pg) and rebounds (2 pg) have gone up as well.

"The improvement and effort that she's made is remarkable," Sauber said. "I think it looks like she's been playing 2 more years on varsity instead of having just one underneath her belt. She's handling the ball much better. Her turnovers are down from last year."

"I think she's become a more mature player," teammate Lauren Klopmeyer added. "She was great last year, but now, I think she's accepted her role and she knows we are going to listen to her, no matter what."

One of Hackbarth's roles includes the ever-so-tough task of guarding the other teams' best player. It's a role Hackbarth wanted and Sauber knew would be perfect for her.

Apparently it's been effective, as the North Stars are 12-4 this season.

"I don't like to play down," Hackbarth said. "I like to compete. I'm a competitor. I like to work hard. Those good players (I'm defending) make we work hard."

"She wants to be the best and she wants to play with the best," Sauber added. "If you tell her, 'Kiley, this is their best player, don't let her touch the ball,' she's like, 'Bring it.' That's her attitude toward everything else on the court. She's well on her way to becoming one of the best point guards around our area."

What's even more remarkable about Hackbarth's improvement is that she's done it while suffering with chronic back pain.

About two years ago, she cracked a vertebrae and was in a brace. She spent some time out of basketball recovering.

Before this season began, a vertebrae shifted, yet through therapy, she's still managed to play.

"(Basketball) is what I love to do and I don't want to stop doing it," Hackbarth said.

"It doesn't matter," Sauber said. "She wants to be on the court. She plays through so much pain, but you will never see a tear from her eye. She never fades, never needs a rest."

The best part is, the North Stars have Hackbarth -- along with Division I prospect Kelsey Smith and guard Anna Conrad -- back next year.

After Smith and Conrad graduates next year, Hackbarth will still be around.

And that's a pretty big deal for such a small player.