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EARLY INDICATIONS
Having two brothers while growing up has made Alex Kock a real competitor.
Alex has one older brother, Aaron, who is four years older as well as a younger brother, Adam. Their parents, Ron and Kathie, recall many games being played in the basement of their home as the boys grew older, everything from basketball, wiffleball and kickball to tackle football.
Alex recalls basketball goals at both ends of the basement for a full-court setting, and that both goals had DeKalb Baron stickers on them. Ron says Alex was always a natural at anything involving a ball.
Alex had a jump start into his basketball as a child, attending countless DeKalb High School Baron games. His parents were both teachers in the school system and his father was a Coach. He remembers dreaming as a child that one day he would maybe play for the DeKalb Barons.
Alex fulfilled that dream in spades, taking the Barons to the 4A State Championship game his senior year. Then, during his high school years, Alex started to think that he might play college basketball and, like most good players, his goal was to play NCAA D1 basketball.
Due to his hard work and countless hours in the gym and weight room, that goal was also realized. After graduating from DeKalb, he was able to play for NCAA D1 Wright State University (Dayton, OH).
THE HU DECISION
After one successful year of NCAA D1 basketball, Alex decided that Wright State was not a "good fit" for him and started looking at some other schools. Learning that Alex was considering a transfer, Jared Yoder and his dad, Roger, encouraged Alex to make a visit to HU.
Roger had been one of Alex’s coaches for AAU basketball and Jared was already one of Alex’s friends. There were many factors that helped Alex decide on HU. Recent success of the program and a great Coach
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were among those factors. The attractive campus and facilities were also part of the decision. He says that HU simply had "a good college feel." Although Alex was recruited by other schools, he chose HU. As basketball fans, aren’t we all happy for that decision? By the way, thanks, Yoders.
BASKETBALL AT HUNTINGTON
After restarting his basketball career at HU as a sophomore, Alex had some incredible achievements in three years. He managed to score 2,182 total points, becoming the 5th all-time scorer in HU history.
Alex became a three-time MCC player of the year and was an All-MCC Conference First Team selection each year. He led the MCC in scoring for the past two seasons, averaging 23.3 points per game this season and 21.2 points per game last season.
Alex is also a great rebounder, leading this year’s team with 10.0 rebounds per game. And along with these and many other achievements, Alex was named NAIA All-American all three years at HU. To cap it off, he was named 2006-07 NAIA D2 Player of the Year, becoming the only player in Huntington history to earn that honor.
MEETING EXPECTATIONS
I asked Alex if HU basketball was what he expected. He said that he really didn’t know what to expect in smaller college basketball. However, he soon discovered how good NAIA basketball is. He says "the competition is tough night in and night out in the MCC. The fans are great, and the atmosphere is as good as anywhere in the country." He adds that his HU experience was even better than expected and has no regrets whatsoever of transferring to HU.
COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION
His father, Ron, stated that Alex has worked extremely hard every year to be a better player. He knows Alex has gotten better every year and that is not something easily accomplished; it has taken a great deal of commitment.
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Alex Kock - 2007
#42 - Alex Kock
Alex Kock |
