Luckily for Marcedes Walker, the path she followed has taken her down an avenue of success.

On a road where the pit stops prove destructive, it would be understandable if the Pittsburgh center made a wrong turn. But Walker surrounded herself with people who had her best interests in mind growing up. No matter the external circumstances of living in inner-city Philadelphia, Walker veered a steady course.

Walker and Pittsburgh host Syracuse on Thursday night at 7, kicking off Big East play for both teams.

From leading the team at University City High as well as playing in the Developmental Basketball League, Walker used those outlets to help land her a spot on the Panther roster. As the first member of her family to attend college, Walker has already etched a substantial rsum.

During her freshman year last season, Walker led the Panthers in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage, averaging nearly a double-double with 13.3 points and 9.1 boards. This year, she leads Pitt with 16 points per game and 7.4 rebounds to boot.

‘She’s learning to be more confident with her game and herself,’ Pittsburgh head coach Agnus Berenato said. ‘It’s been very hard on her because everybody doubles or triples her (on defense). It doesn’t matter if she has the ball. She’s overwhelmed and wonders why she’s being covered.’

But Walker, a Pitt team captain as a sophomore, managed the multiple players breathing down her neck on many possessions. Frankly, Walker has had to deal with much tougher problems than extra players swarming the paint anytime the ball is in her hands.

Michael Horsey and Lurline Jones co-founded the Developmental Basketball League in 1973 because of people like Walker. Many kids who grow up in the projects have athletic and academic potential but instead resort to gangs, crime and drugs. The league’s intention was to pull away many potential prospects, including Walker, from the slums and into the gym.

‘They were taking care of kids from out of the neighborhood to show kids what college could be like,’ Walker said. ‘There were a lot of people from the Philly area who had game. It was trying to have them see different showcases.’

By 2001, Horsey and Jones added an AAU component in which the Philadelphia team traveled nationwide to face stiffer competition. This allowed inner-city players to hone their fundamentals and play up to par with players from wealthier backgrounds who pay to play in the AAU.

Horsey, a certified public consultant, represents a number of current and former NBA players, including Rasheed Wallace, Alvin Williams, Cuttino Mobley, Rasual Butler and Sean Colson. To offset costs, the league applied for grants to foundations established by such players.

Since the DBL’s inception, a number of players have performed well collegiately. Temple guard Khadija Bowens, Rutgers forward Aquisha Cahoe and Kent State guard La’kia Stewart have shared the same path as Walker. Her sophomore and junior years of high school, Walker led the DBL Rutgers team to two Police Athletic League national titles. Meanwhile, Walker led her University City High team in scoring and rebounding for three straight seasons, competing in arguably the highest level of amateur basketball.

‘She’s a big kid, but she runs like Bambi,’ Pittsburgh assistant coach Jeff Williams said. ‘She’s quick up and down and has great footwork in the post.’

Although Walker thinks she initially struggled at the beginning of her freshman campaign at Pitt, it didn’t take long for her to make her presence known. Immediately, opponents swarmed her and she soon perfected her ability to pass out of the post.

With the numbers she recorded, it’s even more impressive that Walker was able to do so averaging only 13 minutes. While she certainly made good use of her time on the court, Walker’s limited endurance troubled coaches Berenato and Williams. Although a well-conditioned player, Walker’s initial weight of 273 pounds limited her minutes substantially.

‘She came from a background where she ate chicken wings and Burger King (nearly every day),’ Berenato said. ‘She didn’t know what a healthy diet was.’

After offseason surgery on her shoulder, Walker hit the gym more. She swam, pedaled and, more importantly, grew more aware of what she was eating. Berenato does not prefer her players to go on strict diets, but instead had Walker eat foods in moderation. Walker also added grains and vegetables to her eating habits while cutting down on greasy, fatty foods.

‘I came off a shoulder injury, and I wasn’t able to shoot the ball,’ Walker said. ‘I had no choice but to run.’

Along with battling everything else, Walker is still grasping the idea of being a captain in her second year. She’s also honing in on 15 to 20-footers and also making sure she commits fewer fouls while still keeping her aggressiveness up. It’s all part of the road Walker has traveled that has taken her to where she is now.

‘If she continues to develop, she’s a WNBA candidate,’ Horsey said. ‘And I think she’s still continuing to learn.’

Published on December 6, 2005 at 12:00 pm