Fresno State Athletics
What's in a Name?
1/27/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 27, 2000
FRESNO, Calif. - COURTney Alexander was born to play on a basketball court. He grew up playing at Jordan High School in Durham, N.C., just a short jumper away from Chapel Hill where Michael Jordan himself reigned supreme. He was the state of North Carolina's Gatorade Player of the Year his senior season in high school. He earned third team All-America recognition from BlueChip and Parade magazines.
Last year, the Anthropology major received loads of recognition. He was selected to the first-team All-WAC and All-Newcomer teams. Dick Vitale named Alexander to his All-Impact team. He was named the WAC Conference Player of the Week on March 1 for his 35-point and 26-point efforts against Hawai'i and Sand Diego State, respectively. As a freshman at Virginia, Alexander was the recipient of Virginia's Rookie of the Year award and he was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team. This season he will continue to hear much praise.
After the Bulldogs completed last season with a loss to Cal in the first round of the NIT, Alexander was faced with one of the most difficult decisions in his life. He was confronted with the choice of entering the '99 NBA Draft. Most likely a first-round selection, Alexander had to decide whether he would put millions of dollars on hold and finish his college career, or fulfill a life long dream. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, the superstar in-waiting concluded that a return to Fresno State would be in the best interest of the team.
"I didn't come back for all the awards and recognition," Alexander said. "My main focus is to become a team leader, improving myself as a basketball player and taking this team deep into the NCAA tournament."
Alexander's senior season couldn't have been more anticipated. Some of his preseason honors include Naismith and John Wooden Award candidate, first team All-America as named by Dick Vitale's College Basketball magazine, and WAC Player of the Year predicted by just about everybody. But when the guard/forward from Durham, N.C. was sidelined due to a stress fracture in his left foot, all the expectations were put on hold.
Now Alexander is set to rejoin the Bulldogs, a team in need of depth and that go-to guy essential to a championship club. Alexander transferred to Fresno State in the fall of `97 and sat out in accordance with NCAA transfer regulations. When he stepped onto the court for the first time as a Bulldog, his presence was felt immediately. In his first two games of the `98-`99 season, Alexander totaled 52 points and had 11 rebounds. Last season he averaged 21.4 points per game, scoring in double digits in every game. As the team's leading scorer he put up 20 points or more in 19 contests and had three 30-point outbursts, pouring on a career high 37 against Utah last January.
Head coach Jerry Tarkanian believes that Alexander is important to the team in more ways than just his potent scoring.
"Courtney will be a tremendous defensive player for us [when he's at full strength]," Tarkanian said. "He's an intelligent player who can run our offense and his maturity is a great asset to our team."
Whether he has the ball in his hands, is pressuring the opposition, or moving slyly without the rock, Alexander presence on the court gives the `Dogs a constant threat. Tarkanian said that Alexander is one of the best all-around players in college basketball and he is almost impossible to defend. The 6-foot-6-inch Alexander is also another ball handler on the floor who can deliver precision passes at any time. Against Sacramento State, he dished out a career-high nine assists. Alexander's leaping ability not only allows him to get off a clear shot at any time, but he can sky for the rebound. He averaged 3.8 rebounds per game and had a career-high eight boards against BYU.
Tarkanian has seen a colossal growth in Alexander in the past year. His willingness to become a solid leader is evident and he definitely wants to improve in every aspect of his game. "Since the beginning of September he was as committed as any athlete I've ever been around," Tarkanian said. "He wants to be a complete player."
For all his strengths and weaknesses, there is one aspect of Alexander that Tarkanian admires most.
"I love his work ethic, especially in the past few months," Tarkanian said. "His desire is so strong and he wants to do whatever he can for this team."
Alexander has all the skills to be a star at the next level, but right now, his presence on the floor will be most significant to the Bulldogs.
