Robinson and Alexander sign with Lynx

ANGEL ROBINSON and KACHINE ALEXANDER have signed with the Minnesota Lynx, of the Women’s National Basketball Association. They will play in the team’s first exhibition game against Indiana on Tuesday, May 24, at Concordia University’s Gangelhof Center at the corner of Hamline and Marshall in St. Paul. The game will start at 12 noon.

In addition to the two local stars, the Lynx have signed Connecticut star MAYA MOORE and Xavier University forward AMBER HARRIS with the first and fourth picks.

Robinson, a 5’-8” guard, finished her collegiate career as one of the most decorated players to ever don a Marquette uniform. She ranks in the top 12 in eight career statistical categories, including a school-record 134 career games played.

The All Big East first-team selection and WBCA All America Team finalist stands second on career steals (277), free throws made (434), and free throws attempted (600). She lists third in assists (570), sixth in points (1,699), eighth in field goals made (587), and 12th in rebounds (640). Robinson is the only player in program history to amass over 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists and 250 steals in her career.

A St. Paul native, Robinson was named Minnesota’s Miss Basketball in 2007 after averaging 16.3 points, 5.3 assists and 4.9 steals per game while leading St. Paul Central to the Minnesota AAAA State Championship and an undefeated season her senior year. Robinson was a first all-state selection in 2007 as well as the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s and the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Metro player of the year.

Alexander, a 5’-9” guard, enjoyed a standout career at the University of Iowa, earning the most All-America awards in school history. She was a four-time All-American after being named honorable mention by the Associated Press and WBCA as a junior and senior.

She earned first-team all-Big Ten honors as a junior and senior, along with second-team accolades as a sophomore. She became the first Big Ten women’s basketball player to record triple-doubles in the same season when she accomplished the feat as a sophomore.

Alexander finished her career ranked second in school history in double-doubles (34), second in rebounding (910), eight in assists (339) and 16th in scoring (1,239).

Alexander, a Minneapolis native, starred at Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School. A first-team all-state and second-team all-metro honoree as a senior, Alexander was named the 2007 Conference Player of the Year, was a finalist for 2007 Conference Player of the Year, and was a finalist for 2007 Miss Minnesota Basketball.

A first-team Pioneer Press All-Defensive team member her senior season, Alexander was a four-time all conference honoree and a McDonald’s All-American nominee.

Harris to keynote at Winfield Banquet
RYAN HARRIS, a former Winfield awardee and a Cretin-Derham Hall and Notre Dame football star, will headline the 35th Annual Winfield Awards Banquet.

The banquet was initiated by major league baseball Hall-of-Famer and St. Paul Central and University of Minnesota star David M. Winfield. The St. Paul native established the banquet as a way of encouraging St. Paul youth to continue scholastically and athletically in their pursuit of a college degree.

Harris, who is a starting lineman for the Denver Broncos, is rare in that he obtained his degree in four years while playing football at a university that requires all of its athletes to dedicate themselves as serious students, as well as athletes. The event will be held June 5, 6 pm, at the Crowne Plaza Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul (11 East Kellogg Boulevard).

Special opportunity for basketball officials
This special opportunity for basketball officials is a result of collaboration between University of Minnesota men’s basketball coach TUBBY SMITH and JIM ROBINSON, supervisor of Minnesota state high school officials. The dates of the camp are June 24, 25 and 26.

Robinson is personally inviting officials interested in working at all levels of basketball in Minnesota. This camp is a learning opportunity that can be used by high school and college officials to reach their officiating goals.

The youth basketball campers will receive instruction, handouts, Tubby Smith basketball t-shirts, evaluations, court evaluations, lectures and individual mentoring. In addition, the officials will receive video breakdown and mechanics techniques critiques.

They will have the opportunity to be observed by the most qualified instructors in Minnesota. There will be Big Ten observers, Minnesota State High School League supervisors of officials, charter clinicians and assignment secretaries, and officials with Division I experience. Upon completing this experience, participants’ names will be forwarded to each of the charter clinicians and assignment secretaries throughout the state of Minnesota.

For more information, contact Jim Robinson at 651-503-8881 or 651-644-3311, or email him at summituniversityyteencenter@comcast.net; or call Ralford Dixon at 612-205-6450, or email him at Redbale23@yahoo.com.

The camp fee for boys’ basketball is $50 per camper. Scholarships are available upon request before June 20. Officials’ attire will be black shoes, black shorts, white socks, black and white officiating shirt and a fox whistle.

Eighteenth Annual Inner City All-Star Classic
The Inner City All-Star Basketball Classic will be held Sunday, June 19. Girls’ game is at 3 pm; boys’ game is at 5 pm.

Kwame McDonald welcomes reader responses to kmcdonald@gmail.com or by phone at 651-398-5278.