There aren’t very many basketball players at the Division III level who are 6 foot 8 inches and can play anywhere on the floor. North Central senior Alex Sorenson, ’18, seems to be one of few who can do so.
The senior out of Dunlap, Ill., has been a crucial cog in the Cardinals success the last few years, averaging around 16.5 points and 8.4 rebounds in his first two seasons. North Central was not the first stop in his career, however; Sorenson played at Northern Michigan for the 2014 season where limited minutes pushed him to pursue other opportunities.
While searching for a new school, Sorenson already had a solid connection to North Central through his brother Peter, a former all-conference and all-region wide receiver for the football team between 2011-2014. Sorenson said that made his transition easier.
“I felt welcomed right away by the basketball program and knew a lot of people through my brother. Peter was absolutely a factor in the decision. When I decided I was going to transfer I considered pursuing other scholarship opportunities but came to the conclusion that I didn’t want to take a risk on another school I wasn’t sure I would like so I came to NCC and it’s been awesome.”
Sorenson’s role has significantly changed over time, going from looking up (or down) to the seniors, to being one of the leaders of the team alongside fellow senior Erwin Henry, ’18. Now that the roles have switched and he’s one of the guys his teammates look up to, he said it’s a great feeling.
“It’s an honor to be considered a leader by your teammates and be voted as a captain. It’s something I take very seriously. I want to be someone they can come to if they have issues or questions and try to help them through things. I also like to be a source of energy for the team and let my teammates feed off of my excitement. I don’t always have the big rah-rah speeches but I try to lead by example and when I do have a speech I make sure they’re big time.”
A two-time all-conference performer, Sorenson has attracted the attention of just about every team the Cardinals face this year, constantly drawing double-teams and even an occasional triple-team. “It’s something that was difficult to deal with early on in my career but it’s now something that I enjoy,” Sorenson said. “I take it as a sign of respect that teams put so much attention on me and it means I just have to work even harder to play well and be effective.”
Sorenson has made some headlines already this season, scoring a school-record 54 points against Robert Morris while shooting a whopping 25-29 from the floor. His performance also set a new school record for field goals made. But Sorenson’s favorite memory isn’t his school record or beating a rival, but rather what happened last spring when the fourth-seeded Cardinals defied the odds and took home the CCIW title.
“It was such a fun game and a realization of a lot of hard work we put in. Last season had so many up and downs so that game versus Augustana was the perfect culmination of everything we had been through and is a memory I’ll cherish for a long time.”
Sorenson doesn’t exactly know what his future holds after basketball, but he has thought about the possibility of continuing to play after college. But he also hopes to land a good job so he doesn’t have to live with his parents.
