The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Four Hawkeyes taken to open Game Time League draft

Imagine having both Northern Iowa’s 2010-11 leading scorer and one of the greatest Hawkeye women’s basketball players of all time on the same team.

Brendan Unkrich won’t have to imagine.

The Game Time League coach selected Northern Iowa point guard Jacqui Kalin and former Iowa standout Kachine Alexander in the first two rounds of the league’s draft on Tuesday evening. He said he was pleasantly surprised that Alexander fell to the second round, and he snapped her up with the eighth overall pick.

“I had Jacqui Kalin last year on my team, and she was tremendous, so I wanted to take her right away,” Unkrich said. “Kach could’ve been the first pick overall. I’ve known her for a couple years playing in this league — she’s a great person, she’s energetic, and one of the best athletes that’s probably [ever] played in this league.”

Kalin, a senior-to-be and the reigning Missouri Valley Player of the Year, was the first non-Hawkeye selected in the draft. Returning Iowa players Kamille Wahlin, Morgan Johnson, Kelly Krei, and Jaime Printy made up the first four selections of the draft.

Wahlin, who averaged 12 points per game last season as an Iowa junior, was taken first overall by coach Clark Anderson.

“Kamille is just a great person but a great leader on the court also,” Anderson said. “She makes decisions quickly, she’s quick off the dribble, she’s explosive and a playmaker.”

Joining Wahlin on that team will be Hawkeye forward Kalli Hansen and incoming freshman center Bethany Doolittle. Anderson said he believes Hansen could play very well for his team this season, and he is excited about the début of the 6-3 Doolittle.

Incoming Iowa freshmen Samantha Logic and Virginia Johnson were selected with the sixth and seventh overall picks by coach Mike Stoermer.

“I thought the best player left on the board was a player nobody knows about, and that’s Samantha Logic,” Stoermer said. “She’s a top-10 recruit in the country and probably the best recruit Iowa has had in a long time.”

Hawkeye Megan Considine and Northern Iowa forward Jess McDowell will join Logic and Johnson.

Other players selected on Tuesday included incoming Hawkeye freshmen Kathryn Reynolds and Melissa Dixon and Northern Iowa’s Rachel Madrigal, K.K. Armstrong, Amber Kirschbaum, Amanda Barton, and Mercedees Morgan.

The rest of the pool was composed of players from professional, small college, and high-school ranks.

Game Time, made up of six teams, is entering its 11th year of play. Game Time director Randy Larson said he thinks the league does a great job of allowing women from smaller schools to experience elite competition, as well as give new opportunities to Hawkeye and Panther players.

“Maybe they play a different position in our league than they would during the year,” Larson said. “Maybe they get to be the star of a team instead of a role player.”

Game Time will play its games every Wednesday at the North Liberty Recreation Center. League play will begin June 22, with two games at 6 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m. The league will hold playoff games on July 25, followed by the league championship July 27.

Admission to the games is free.

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