Daughter like father. All her life freshman guard Alexis Brewer has emulated her father James “Boo” Brewer’s love for basketball. It all started at the age of three, when Brewer picked up her first basketball. She launched her career in fourth grade, as she started AAU basketball with a dream to be just like her father – a college basketball player.

 

Growing up, Brewer was always surrounded by the game of basketball – even if that game took her and her family 3,000 miles across the ocean. Her father played collegiate basketball at Louisville, from 1988-93, and then played professionally overseas for several years. Her father ranks fifth on Louisville's all-time three-point percentage list (.397) and helped the Cardinals to a NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance in 1993.  

 

“He inspired me to be the best that I can be,” Brewer noted. “When I was younger, he was always pushing me in the gym. He is a big influence in my life, and he is a big influence within the game of basketball as well.”

 

“He always wanted me to play college basketball and be the player that he always knew I could be. He wanted me to go above and beyond.”

 

And she did just that. The Buffalo, Kentucky, native was rated as one of the top-12 prospects in Kentucky, by Rick Bolus’ Basketball Recruiting Service.

 

Brewer played three years at LaRue County, tallying 2,258 points and 760 rebounds. She guided the Hawks to a runner-up finish in the region, and posted a record 44 points in a region tournament game against North Hardin.

 

Even though she posted impressive numbers throughout her three-year career at LaRue County, Brewer felt like she needed to be closer to her father.

 

She decided to finish her high school career at Bardstown High, where her father coaches the boy’s basketball team. Transferring schools during her senior year was not the easiest transition, but she wanted to graduate from the same school as her family.

 

“The transition was fairly hard,” Brewer explained. “At first, my teammates didn’t want to accept me because they thought I was out there to take their spot. But by the end of it, I loved it, and they loved me. Now, my teammates and I have a relationship that will last a lifetime.”

 

During her senior season, Brewer recorded 611 points and 203 rebounds to lead the program to a major turnaround. The Tigers improved to a 21-9 record in the 2014-15 season, after winning a grand total of 15 the previous season.

 

Those numbers aided Brewer to become a finalist for Miss Basketball and was named the Region 5 Co-Player of the Year. She also was nominated for Gatorade Player of the Year in Kentucky and McDonald’s All-American.

 

Brewer is definitely a daddy’s girl, and her father’s influence on life and basketball is what guided her to the family atmosphere here in Morgantown, West Virginia. With additional support from her mom Debbie Brewer and her brothers and sisters, she looks forward to competing and becoming a better basketball player under coach Mike Carey.

 

“I can’t wait to start playing and competing against high quality opponents,” Brewer said. “I feel like we have a good chance to make a run at the Big 12 title again.”