Lexie Van Kekerix has had a love for the game of basketball since she was a young girl playing on the driveway. That is where her cousins instilled in her a competitive mindset and attitude to do anything to win. Her dad told her to work hard, always give 110% and to use the gifts that God gave her
“So I have been working on my basketball skill my whole life and in high school it always came easy for me to excel at the things I was doing on the court. However, when I got to college, everyone is talented in their own ways, and it can be harder to find ways to play and even score,” Van Kekerix said.
When Van Kekerix first came to Northwestern, she did not get the spot or court time that she wanted, but she never made excuses about it. She kept working at the game throughout the summer and got better to gain the chance to play.
“Still today, I get workouts in throughout the week before practice and do some shooting on my own time.”
She was not working towards a career high in scoring she let the game come to her and took open shots. She aims to be a leader on the court and fulfill her role on the offensive and defensive sides of basketball.
“It felt good to get my new career high in points. It’s fun to celebrate, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates passing me the ball and my coaches instilling confidence in me,” Van Kekerix said.
Her biggest piece of advice that she would give someone wanting to succeed in college basketball is to “work hard and always give your best, use the gifts God has given to you to help you excel on and off the court.”
“Mostly focus on being a great teammate and leader, because that is what coaches look for in a player,” Van Kekerix said, “in the end, people won’t remember what you did on the court, but what you did off the court, as well as the relationships you formed with your coaches and teammates.”
She also thinks one should still put in the work to be the best player possible.
