Alexander growing as Penns Valley boys’ basketball thrives

He never participated in a youth league, took part in three-on-three with friends or even played a game of HORSE.

Not until sixth grade, the first time he picked up a basketball.

A few years later, he could dunk.

It didn’t come naturally, but basketball has grown on Ben Alexander, and as Penns Valley boys’ basketball’s season has progressed, so has the senior.

The Rams (17-4) begin their postseason push, playing Juniata (15-6) on Friday in the second round of the PIAA District 6 Class AA playoffs. Penns Valley, the bracket’s No. 3 seed, received a first-round bye.

The Rams have had a near-flawless season, with a pair of losses to Clearfield and one each to Berwick and Bellwood-Antis as the only hiccups on their record.

The Rams have won six of their last seven, thanks in large part to the emergence of Alexander, not just as a defensive and athletic nuisance, but also a threat to score from anywhere on the floor.

It’s been an impressive evolution, considering Alexander’s season-ending injury last year and a total disinterest in basketball, really, prior to high school.

For Alexander, before basketball, there was football.

“I would say football is my favorite sport,” Alexander said. “There’s something about football. When I was a little kid, it was something I was drawn to. I kind of came to love basketball, but football was my first love.”

Alexander, a wide receiver and dangerous kick returner, played flag football in fourth grade and moved up to tackle football in seventh, all the while admiring the Pittsburgh Steelers and their pass-catchers.

Years ago it was Mike Wallace, and now it’s Antonio Brown — two players known for breaking off the big play.

That’s how Alexander plays the game, too.

This year, he had three touchdowns — one receiving, one interception, one kick return — in a game against Bald Eagle Area. Last season, he scored all 44 points and racked up 387 yards in a loss to Huntingdon.

“I had the pleasure of seeing him on the football field, and he’s amazing,” Penns Valley boys’ basketball coach Terry Glunt said. “He does some things sometimes that are jaw-dropping. You stand there with your mouth agape, watching something you didn’t expect.”

It was that kind of athleticism that led his friends to ask him to play basketball in sixth grade.

“They were like, oh you’re a pretty good athlete, you can probably play basketball,” Alexander recalled.

It didn’t go so well.

“I was awful,” he laughed. “I couldn’t make a layup. I didn’t understand dribbling. That was a wreck.”

But Alexander worked on the fundamentals, and while it didn’t come quickly, he gradually became more comfortable with his game.

Playing AAU basketball for the Western PA Warhawks, based out of State College, accelerated that process, and so did getting into Glunt’s program as a freshman.

That’s also when he realized dunking was a possibility.

As a 14-year-old, Alexander got close, and by time he was a sophomore, he was practicing it.

“One day I just went up and grabbed the rim,” he said. “Like cool, I can dunk.”

As a sophomore, Alexander was a key bench player for Glunt’s squad that made it to the state tournament, and there was a lot he could offer as a junior.

He just never got the chance to.

During his junior season of football, Alexander broke his wrist.

The expectation was that he’d be ready to play four games into the basketball schedule. After waiting out the recovery period, Alexander had his cast removed on time, but the X-ray indicated that the bone didn’t heal.

He needed surgery, ending any hope of playing that season.

“That was rough on him,” Glunt remembered. “But he came to every practice and every game last year. He was still part of the team, he just couldn’t play. He learned a lot though, just sitting on the sidelines and taking everything in.”

Alexander was good to go for his senior football season, and has been a fixture in Glunt’s starting lineup this year.

Leaping over everyone in the gym and leaving opponents in the dust on the fastbreak, Alexander has fallen back on his athleticism when needed, but has developed a consistent outside shot and seen the floor better. The former, in particular, helped him post a career-high 33 points in a blowout 63-36 win over Tyrone on Feb. 5.

“He’s really feeling it,” Glunt said. “He could always do it defensively, but his offense is really coming around.”

Despite his rapid rise, Alexander isn’t looking to play basketball past this year. Instead, he’s going to take up football collegiately.

Alexander said he was originally looking at Division I schools, but after a few doors closed, he’ll be playing Division II ball. While he’s not ready to announce where just yet, Alexander is confident in his choice of football over basketball.

“I feel like I’m more developed for it,” he said of football. “I feel like I have a better mindset for it. ... I enjoy football more.”

But Alexander doesn’t want his basketball career to end just yet.

No, he’s committed to helping the Rams navigate the district playoffs and into the state tournament.

That journey starts on Friday against Juniata.

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Alexander growing as Penns Valley boys’ basketball thrives."