Kachine Alexander

Classroom

In her first semester as a freshman at Iowa, Alexander struggled making the adjustment to Division I academics. She was ineligible for the second semester of her freshman year, but attacked the classroom as hard as she attacks the court. Alexander rebounded in her second semester, regaining good academic standing. She is on pace to earn a degree in recreation management.

Character

Alexander has overcome obstacles and has shown great leadership while at Iowa. Last season she suffered a severe stress fracture in her right leg early in the season and was forced to miss seven games. Despite the painful injury and having to play with an uncomfortable support brace, Alexander played the final 24 games of the season and earned All-America honors and was one of the most dynamic players in the country. She was one of only two guards in the entire country to average a double-double. At just 5-foot-9, Alexander led the Big Ten in rebounding. Head coach Lisa Bluder described Alexander as the “heart and soul of the basketball team.” She is a vocal leader on the court and a role model for many youth in the area off the court.

Community

Alexander volunteers at numerous organizations and activities in the Iowa City area. She serves as a counselor at Camp Courageous, which is a local summer camp for mentally disabled individuals. During her time at Iowa, she has also volunteered for the March of Dimes and the Ronald McDonald House. Alexander regularly visits the ACS Hope Lodge as well. During the season, she helps organize a basketball shootaround and pizza party with children from a local homeless shelter. Alexander visits many local elementary schools and makes appearances at events like picnics and pep rallies and also reads to youth classrooms. She also appears at many community and university pep rallies to sign autographs for children.

Competition

Alexander is a two-time honorable-mention All-American and a two-time All-Big Ten selection, including first team honors as a junior. Last year she was also one of five players selected to the Big Ten all-defensive team. As a sophomore, Alexander became the first Big Ten women’s basketball player to record two triple-doubles in the same season. As a junior, Alexander was one of only two guards in the entire country to average a double-double. She averaged more rebounds than nine of the 10 players selected to the Division I State Farm Coaches’ All-America first team and had more double-doubles than seven All-Americans, despite playing between 12-14 fewer games than most of the honorees.  She broke five school records and one Big Ten record as a junior and also claimed the Big Ten rebounding title, averaging 11.1 boards per contest in conference games.