Prospect Spotlight: Alexis Mark 2020

Sierra Canyon is the reigning Open Division state champions, and to get back there, they're going to need a big season from <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/alexis-mark/">Alexis Mark</a>. Mark has emerged as part of a three-headed juggernaut for the Trailblazers along with <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/vanessa-de-jesus/">Vanessa De Jesus</a> and <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/ashley-chevalier/">Ashley Chevalier</a>. De Jesus and Chevalier are explosive guards who can light it up from the perimeter, and Mark plays well off of them while bringing some toughness around the rim. She had a solid year as a junior, and that led to her being recruited from multiple Division 1 schools. She narrowed her choices down to a few schools, and then a couple of months ago, she ultimately chose Boise State. She'll join an incoming recruiting class that also includes Orangewood's Elodie Lalotte and Heritage's <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/abigail-muse/">Abigail Muse</a>. It was a long process in cutting her list of schools, but Mark felt like Boise State was the best place for her to continue her basketball career. "I'm very organized. During the recruiting process, I was talking to about 22 different schools. I visited mostly half of them, and right when I get on campus, I can pretty much tell what I like about them," Mark told Prep Hoops. "When I got to Boise, I built a relationship with them, the coaching staff and the players, and that's when I knew this is where I want to play. I know I can fit here." Boise State has done some solid recruiting in California in recent years. They currently have former Canyon standout Rachel Bowers and former Etiwanda standout Kimora Sykes on the roster. Previously, they had former Clovis West standout Tess Amundsen before she transferred to Cal State Northridge. A year ago, the Broncos finished 28-5 and 16-2 in Mountain West conference play. This season, they were picked as the preseason best team in the conference with Braydey Hodgins being named the preseason conference Player of the Year and Oregon transfer Mallory McGwire the preseason Newcomer of the Year. While Mark has one more year left of high school basketball, she's already studied the Broncos roster and is looking forward to what she'll be able to bring to the team next season. "They're a defensive team, they love defense and that's the first thing that they look for. That's my thing, ever since my freshman year it's been defense first, defense wins games," Mark said. "But now that I'm balancing both offense and defense, I can contribute offensively as well. Since I'm a versatile player, I can drive the basket, get off the dribble shots, look for my players, and kick out to shooters." Sierra Canyon lost a couple of their on-court leadership from last season in Amanda Olinger and Angela Bacoulis. In Olinger in particular, they lost a lot of rebounding and interior defense that helped guide them to a state championship. Now that she's a senior, Mark is hoping to bring some of that same leadership this season. She's also hoping to bring some of that same energy on the defensive end as well as on the glass. She's looking forward to being someone that the younger players on the team can look up to. "Off the court is getting to know each person and each player. I thinking building relationships with each player is going to help a lot," Mark said. "And on the court, not only leading with my voice but leading with my actions. I want to do all the little things and inspire not only the younger girls but the girls my age that there's always so much more we can accomplish." And with her final year of high school basketball underway, Mark has a couple of goals in mind. While winning another state championship would be ideal, she also has some specific team-oriented goals in mind. "I want to build our chemistry to the most we can. I like our style of play, I love it, but I want to add more to this program," Mark said. "I want to be a defensive team, a rebounding team, I don't want us to be known as just scoring. I want to have so much more, all the little things that matter that I do, that my other teammates do, that's going to help a lot."