For many young Alaskan hoopsters, the Great Alaska Shootout is a big deal.  It’s the talk of the town for the state’s baby ballers: who’s coming, who’s not, what time they can watch their favorite player, when they can get Bobby Knight’s autograph.   During warm-ups, youngsters envision themselves practicing layups in front of a home crowd and during games they grow confident that one day they’ll be the star who wins the championship game.

Alex Coon, a lifelong Shootout attendee who grew up in Wasilla and is now a member of the UAA women’s basketball team, is stoked to be a part of Alaska’s crowning glory in terms of basketball.

“I think it’s really special to grow up watching these athletes play and to now be a part of it,” Coon said.

Coon graduated from Colony High in 2009 and helped lead the Knights to back-to-back region titles and successive 4A state title appearances.  In 2008, she led her team to a championship win and earned a spot on the ASAA All-State Tournament Team.

Coon grew up around basketball.  Her family has been a prominent factor in the emergence of Valley basketball and it has become an intricate part of Coon’s life.  “Since fifth grade, I’ve skipped school to watch the Shootout,” she said. “It was the only time I ever did.  School is important to me, but I figured this was a worthy cause.”

Shootout even inspired her improve her own game.

“In 2004, I remember watching Nate Robinson from Washington State dunk over a post,” she said. “And I was sitting under the basket completely awestruck.  I wanted to do something like that.”

Coon worked hard throughout her teen years and played form Team Alaska’s AAU club squad, through which she ranked in the top 100 of ESPN’s girls basketball ranking for her position.

In August of her senior year, Coon signed with the Seawolves.

“It’s an awesome program,” she said. “I really like my coaches, my teammates and the overall environment.”

Although a standout player, Coon may redshirt her freshman season to get acclimated to the college basketball atmosphere. She admits that Shootout may have had some influence on her desire to play at UAA.

“I knew I wanted to play basketball in college,” Coon said. “And years of watching the Shootout had a big influence on that.”