WILTON — When James Maloney was a sophomore he was a 5-foot-10, self-described “pudgy” shooting guard who was one of the last players cut from the Wilton High School basketball junior varsity team.

Instead of pouting and quitting the sport, though, Maloney went off and just had fun a couple of years, playing the game through the Wilton Recreation Department with his friends.

He also grew up a lot. Literally.

This winter, Maloney returned to the Zeoli Field House to try out for the team once again.

Only this season, he’s a 6-foot-4 center who is starting to come into his own as a varsity player and becoming a key cog in Wilton’s lineup and surprising early season success.

“He’s been a God-send to be honest with you,” said Wilton head coach Joel Geriak, whose team is 6-2.

Maloney — who claims he’s closer to 6-5 (“Six-six in shoes) — is averaging 8.5 points and 7.0 rebounds a game for the Warriors.

During the latter part of a six-game win streak, though, Maloney scored in double digits in three straight games, including a 20-point, 10-rebound effort against St. Joseph.

“My role honestly is just to work hard,” said Maloney. “Get rebounds, play defense, block shots if I can. When I get those little bunnies, I’ve got to make those. I’ve got to finish them when my teammates make those nice passes.”

More often than not, Maloney does make those shots down low, which is why he is becoming a bigger force in Wilton’s offense.

His 10-for-11 shooting effort from the floor against St. Joe’s was eye-opening, but for the season Maloney is shooting 24-for-37 (65 percent).

“I thought he could be a guy that could get a double-double for us,” said Geriak.

The player Geriak cut two years ago might have gotten double dribbles called against him instead of double-doubles in the stat book.

“I was a shooting guard, but that’s all I could do was shoot,” Maloney said with a laugh. “I just sat in the corner and knocked down shots. If I was Joel, I would have cut myself as a sophomore. I was in bad shape. I was chubby. I never would have put myself on the team.”

The Warriors have been guard heavy for a number of years, so the numbers just weren’t on Maloney’s side.

Even while the recreation league lacked the deep talented and intensity of the FCIAC, it kept Maloney on the court for two years.

“My rec team was pretty good. I wanted to see if I could win a championship, but it didn’t work,” Maloney said. “But it was just having fun with my friends. It was just about playing basketball. If I had to do the decision again, I’d still do it. I had fun and got a lot better playing, actually.”

As a junior, Maloney was bigger, height-wise, but wasn’t ready to make the transition from guard to post player, Geriak said.

“I saw him his junior year, saw he shot up from what we had seen and we saw his potential,” said Geriak. “But he wanted to be a guard. He decided to stick with rec league.”

This season, though, Maloney was ready to do what was best for the team and take his game down low.

“My friends were pressuring me to stay and play rec, but it’s not as much fun when it’s not competitive,” he said. “I signed up for the summer camps and fall league. At that point, I assumed (Geriak) understood I was trying out.”

And the Wilton coach saw a player who was ready to contribute.

“I just said, ‘This year, if you want to play for us, you need to go down low’ and he bought into it,” said Geriak.

The Rebirth of James Maloney, basketball player, got off to a slow start after he suffered a low leg injury during tryouts.

That forced him to miss all of Wilton’s scrimmages as well as its season-opening game against Pomperaug, a 71-58 loss.

He played sparingly against Masuk, scoring just a point, but was on the court quite a bit for the Warriors’ holiday tournament win over Staples.

In the title game of the Hoops-for-Heroes Holiday Classic at Newtown High, Maloney scored nine points (on 4-for-6 shooting) and grabbed 10 rebounds.

“I was out of shape and it was tough to come back, but I’ve been on a little roll,” he said.

His fellow Warriors are gaining confidence in their big every time out, too.

“The kids trust him,” said Geriak. “They’ll give him the ball because they know he can do something with it.”

And, if Wilton can’t get him the ball down low, Maloney will just go get it himself.

Of the 44 rebounds he hauled down in his first six games, 25 came off the offensive glass.

That kind of work has left the James Maloney of yesterday just a hallowed memory of the recreation wars.

“I just grew. It’s as simple as that,” said Maloney, who also admitted he rarely, if ever, wanders out beyond the 3-point circle. “It’s pretty much gone away. I don’t focus on it at all. Maybe I’ll shoot a 3-pointer in practice, but it won’t be pretty.”

At least now he won’t have to worry about Geriak cutting him.