Daniel Alexander Profiled in The Battallion Online

The following is reprinted from The Battallion Online, the Texas A&M Student paper www.batt.com  I couldn’t agree with Daniel more.  All Glory Goes To God-Coach Max Ivany

Freshman forward, Daniel Alexander, dribbles toward the Baylor Bears Wednesday at Reed Arena. Black ink in Hebrew lettering runs along the inside of freshman forward Daniel Alexander’s left bicep.

“It’s Hebrew for ‘disciple,’” Alexander said of his tattoo. “My faith is most important and all glory goes to God for the situation that I’m in. I’m really working on, good or bad, giving the glory to him instead of just thanking him in the good or calling on him in the bad.”

The word “disciple,” a term used to describe Jesus’ followers derived from the Latin “discipulus,” which means a pupil or learner, succinctly sums up Alexander’s life. Study basketball. Study Jesus. All the time.

That’s the way it was last year, anyway, when he was forced to observe Mark Turgeon’s squad from the bench as a redshirt freshman. He said that, while the itch to get on the court never subsided, the time spent off it taught him a lot about patience.

Texas A&M's Daniel Alexander: Photo Credit to Josh McKenna

“In the long run [the redshirt] was going to pay off because I could add some more mass and get more acclimated to the college game,” Alexander said. “At first it was just the most awful thing that’s ever happened because, you know, the thought of not getting to play basketball for a whole year was tough. It’s all the hard parts of college basketball … without ever getting to play.”

Bulked up and armed with a fresh perspective a year later, Alexander calls the gap year a blessing in disguise. “I got to watch the game and really critique it. Now that I have opportunities to play just from past experiences I can use those to be more ready instead of just coming into it blind,” Alexander said.

Alexander has parlayed his high basketball IQ and hustler’s mentality into significant playing time in first year head coach Billy Kennedy’s system. Kennedy said that Alexander’s time spent studying on the sidelines lit a fire inside him to make an impact on the court at all times — in games as well as practices. “He’s just brought great energy to practice and on the defensive end,” Kennedy said. “He’s matured a lot the last couple of weeks. It’s been a big lift to us as a team.”

Alexander’s emergence has coincided with the Aggies most memorable victories this year. In his first significant opportunity, 22 minutes of playing time against Oklahoma State on Jan. 28, he connected on five of six shots for 11 points and six rebounds, helping the Aggies earn a much-needed win. His contributions earned him Kennedy’s trust, as the coach granted Alexander 35 minutes of court time in Wednesday’s tense thriller against No. 6 Baylor. The 6-foot 8-inch freshman shot 4-for-7 from behind the arc and helped the Aggies win the second half 35-27 with nine points and five rebounds in the second period.

“He’s really a good shooter,” Kennedy said.

A&M’s on-court success this season has often been generated by bench contributors like Alexander, junior forward Ray Turner, and senior guard Alex Baird. “We’ve all known that guys like Daniel can do it,” said David Loubeau, senior forward and agricultural leadership and development major. “He’s always ready to step up off the bench and vie and bring energy and toughness to the team. All of our guys are ready to step in there and play some good quality minutes to help us win.”

Another word from the same root as “disciple” is “discipline” — a trait that Alexander has learned full well over the last two years. He said that being disciplined has fully prepared him for any situation, whether he’s seeing the court or encouraging teammates on the bench.

“It’s been a blessing to get an opportunity that I didn’t think I was going to see,” Alexander said. “Going from the first half of the year barely playing at all and not even getting to go in some games to now, when I’m getting an opportunity to play a little more — that’s just awesome and I’m trying to make the most of it.”