Temple’s Drew Alexander is emerging as a three-point shooter off the bench

Temple guard Drew Alexander entered this season with six career field goals and 17 career points. She redshirted her freshman year in 2023-24 and never played more than eight minutes in a game last season.

Owls coach Diane Richardson made a point in the offseason that she was going to use her depth, which included Alexander.

She was one of the first players off the bench in Temple’s season opener against George Mason on Nov. 3 and immediately made an impact. Known for her sharpshooting abilities, Alexander made three three-pointers and scored 13 points in the Owls’ 94-85 overtime win. She has since made at least one three-pointer in four of Temple’s first six games and has emerged as a key bench piece.

“I know that my role on the team is to shoot the ball, rebound, and defend,” Alexander said. “I know every time I step on the floor, no matter if it’s for 30 minutes or 30 seconds, I have to do my role no matter what and play the hardest that I can.”

Alexander grew up in Durham, N.C., and had a basketball in her hands at 3 years old. Her father, Darryl, played ball at Central Michigan and overseas. He taught her how to shoot, which has become her strength. They used to take 100 form shots before workouts and then put up 200 three-pointers a day.

She started to receive college scholarship offers after her freshman year, and following her sophomore year at Greensboro Day School, she made a major decision.

Alexander decided to attend Shabach Christian Academy in Maryland and played for the DMV Lady Tigers on the AAU circuit. To do that, she had to move to the Washington area, which meant leaving her family. Alexander spent that year living with her AAU coach, Sam Caldwell.

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“It was a little difficult not seeing my parents every day, but also it was a good experience for me to get adjusted to the college level the next year,” Alexander said.

Caldwell led Alexander to Temple. Alexander graduated a year early and reclassified to join the Owls for the 2023-24 season.

She redshirted her first year with the Owls and played on the scout team while learning the playbook. She had a limited role off the bench last season, but that mostly was because her expected role had been filled.

Richardson likes to have one high-level three-point shooter on the court. Last season, that often was guard Tarriyonna Gary, who led the team in threes, making 72 of 188 attempts (38.3%).

With Gary occupying the shooting role, Alexander did not see the court much. However, the role was up for grabs after Gary graduated, and she has taken it.

“Her ability to come in and immediately make an impact within the first possession she touches the ball is a really good thing for us,” assistant coach Myles Jackson said. “I think her development throughout the year and her confidence throughout the year are only going to be improved.”

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Alexander finished with 13 points in the Owls’ first two games to surpass her total from last season. She came into the season hoping to have a role coming off the bench, but even she was not expecting to have that kind of performance to start the year.

“I wasn’t expecting to have 13 points in the first two games,” Alexander said. “My confidence is really high right now, and I feel like I am in a really good spot.”

Alexander’s shooting has earned her a spot in the rotation, but she still has plenty of room to grow on defense and in getting rebounds.

As the Owls, who entered Friday with a 3-3 record, move further into the season, Alexander’s growth and confidence will continue to play a role on the court.

“I think she’s going to keep progressing,” Jackson said. “We are going to see a really good Drew Alexander come February and March.”