Madison County basketball player Kobi Alexander is the Schewels Athlete of the Week after scoring 42 points against Luray on Friday.
MADISON — Madison County senior Kobi Alexander thought the Mountaineers may have been a bit overconfident in December before a game at Luray, which was tight until the final minutes.
He made sure they didn’t make the same mistake on Friday when the Bulldogs invaded Wetsel Gym in Madison.
“We didn’t think they could beat us, but they kept right with us,” Alexander said. “This time, I talked to the guys and told them we really have to focus and come away with the win.”
Alexander took his own words to heart. He was so focused that he didn’t realize he’d already scored 25 points until teammate Gaines Swink told him in the locker room during halftime.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior’s career night continued in the second half, as Alexander set a Madison County single-game record with 42 points and 14 rebounds in the Mountaineers’ 75-60 victory.
It was his eighth double-double of the season. Averaging a team-high 17.3 points and 9.7 rebounds a night, Alexander is the Schewels Athlete of the Week.
“Our effort was the difference in the two games [against Luray],” Alexander said. “In the second half [of Friday’s game], we picked up the tempo and we knew we could put them away.”
Alexander is one of two seniors starting for the Mountaineers. That’s a stark difference from last season, when 1,000-point scorers Isiah Smith and Dre Twyman took the court. Add to their departures the loss before last season of post presence Dylan Breeden and 3-point threat Dalton Taylor’s transfer to St. Anne’s-Belfield and it’s clear head coach Ben Breeden and staff have been forced to replace a lot of production the past couple years.
Coach Breeden said Alexander was a natural choice to carry some of the offensive load.
“Kobi has always been a special player inside,” Ben Breeden said. “He’s the point guy in our press and defensively, he’s a ball disruptor.”
In this season’s first game against Luray (a 61-51 Madison win), Alexander put up 23 points and 14 rebounds. Breeden said he got off to a hot start in Friday’s win, and Alexander scored the bulk of his points under the basket as 10 of his 14 rebounds came on the offensive end.
“He got a couple easy buckets early, and he played with a lot of energy,” Ben Breeden said. “Luray has a lot of size, but he used his quickness and athleticism to make it tough on them. His quickness makes him tough to guard.”
Alexander, a three-year varsity player, didn’t see much action as a sophomore but was inserted into the starting lineup last season after the loss of Dylan Breeden. He averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds during the Mountaineers’ run to the 2A state semifinals, and Alexander said he learned a lot playing beside Twyman.
“I learned how to finish and be strong in the paint,” Alexander said, “and I learned how to score from different spots in the paint.”
Coming into Friday’s game, Alexander said his previous career high was 27 points. He’s had some help on the offensive end from junior Elijah Lewis, whose two 30-point efforts have defenses thinking twice before just trying to shut Alexander down.
“Sometimes if I have a smaller guy on me, I’ll give him a little wink to tell him to get me the ball,” said Alexander, adding that he and Lewis played together on the same Strong Quality Basketball AAU team and for the majority of their elementary and middle school careers. “He brings a lot of hustle on the defensive end and adds a lot of scoring.”
Lewis — the starting quarterback on the football team — is a natural guard, but he’s been forced into the post this season due to the Mountaineers’ lack of another frontcourt option. He’s averaging 15.5 points and 6.2 rebounds a night. He scored 30 points in losses to Orange County and Central (Woodstock), which is one of the most athletic teams in the Bull Run District.
“They’re both two of our strongest players near the basket,” Ben Breeden said. “Elijah is more of a 3-point threat. Kobi is more dangerous from 10 feet and in transition.”
Alexander is receiving interest at the next level from Old Dominion Athletic Conference teams. Breeden said Lynchburg College called on Monday.
In the meantime, Alexander knows he has to keep up the scoring pace if the Mountaineers are going to make another run to the state tournament.
“The big thing for Kobi is staying out of foul trouble and finishing at the basket,” Ben Breeden said. “You can’t try to block everything. He struggled with that early on, but being disciplined has helped him stay out of trouble lately.”
