Meet Alec Kobre

Whether you subtitle it Guard U or the Backcourt Institute of Basketball, Coach Craig McMillan's Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) Bear Cubs program annually produces players typically ranging from 5-foot-11 to 6-foot-4 who move on to the next levels.

Try Sama Taku, Kevin Aronis and Bobby Sharp just to name a few recent alumni who are currently playing at Pacific, New Mexico State and Portland respectively. Plus, Lorenzo McCloud finished up at Pacific last year.

So does anyone wish to bet against Alec Kobre following those footsteps?

For some background, the 6-foot 3 sophomore out of Montgomery High is currently averaging 17.3 points per game while shooting 49% overall, 53% from three-point range (55-103) and 95% at the foul line. At the recent Kris Kringle tournament hosted by SRJC, Kobre connected on 17-23 shots from long distance.

Here'd Coach McMillan on his sharpshooter: "Alec stepped up to the challenge and is playing a bigger role for us [this season]. He redshirted for a year (look at all the guards who preceded him), he's tough-minded and has become an even better shooter."

Besides producing points, that challenge also included providing greater influence.

Asked his best skills, Kobre answered with "definitely shooting and trying to provide leadership. I'm one of the more experienced guys." He was the team captain as a senior at Montgomery so it's not a completely new role.

Flipping that question over, he offered "my defense and ballhandling" as areas he's spending the most time on improving.

He holds Ned Averbuck, a Sonoma County basketball trainer and longtime educator, as his biggest basketball influence. It's been a while since the two have worked together but Averbuck was prominent during Kobre's high school years. He also credited McMillan, longtime Montgomery High Coach Tom Fitchie and Bryan Long, who has coached at Santa Rosa Junior College and now assists at Montgomery, as instrumental in his development.

It was a no brainer that Kobre would head to SRJC of all community college because "I grew up going to practices there and I knew Coach McMillan as well as the guys before me."

As a true freshman, Kobre redshirted -- "I didn't like it at the time but we had a really good team and I got a lot stronger, adding,"it was impressive to see how hard Max Fuji and Bobby Sharp were playing."

Grades are no issue even with the higher grade point average required of community college transfers by the NCAA.

Kobre holds a specific memory as his best basketball moment.

"It was winning the NCS championship as a senior," in which Montgomery bested Las Lomas High 58-51 in a game that was played at Santa Rosa Junior College.

Now, Kobre is trying to do the same as a Bear Cub member of the Big Eight Conference.