Keani Albanez: 3 Points for the Cali Girl

                As of January 11, 2015, Keani Albanez stands at number seven all time on three pointers made at Gonzaga University, just eight three pointers short of sixth place. In many Zags fans’ minds, there is no doubt that Keani will reach at least fourth on the list before she graduates in the spring. While Keani’s play often seems effortless to many fans, the amount of time, effort, and work she has put in to get to where she is now would baffle most people.

                Keani started playing basketball in first grade. In the beginning of her basketball career, Keani was coached by her dad and says that “she loved being able to spend more time with him.” Unlike many kids growing up now who look up to players who everyone thinks is the best, Keani looked up to many local stars in the “805” – an area of California in which the area code is 805. Keani is very proud of the 805, which includes Santa Barbara, where she grew up. From first grade until now, Keani has been dedicated to basketball, and all of the work she has put in over the years has paid off. 

                She grew up playing with and against her sisters, and by the time she was fourteen, Keani was ranked as the Best Player in the Country. Being ranked so high led to Keani being recruited by many schools, and her freshmen year of high school she committed to play basketball at the University of Southern California. Little did she know at the time, but the coaches to whom she committed to at USC would be replaced before she got there. Once the coaching change happened, Keani decided that USC was not the place for her, and she went in search of the perfect school.

                The perfect school ended up being Gonzaga University in Spokane Washington. Although Keani’s senior season at Buena High School ended in a heartbreaking loss to their rivals in the Championship Game, Keani , who was then the seventy second ranked player in the country, packed her bags and was off to start the next part of her journey at one of the top women’s basketball schools in the country.

                This all seemed well and good - until the one thousand three hundred miles between Keani and her family started getting to her. She had been right by her family her entire life, and now being two states away was taking its toll. At one point during her freshmen year, Keani told her parents that she wanted to come home. She was too far away from them and was having trouble transitioning from being one of the best players on her team growing up to “not being the best at all.”

                After talking with her parents, a little fan was pointed out in the crowd. There was a little blonde girl in the stands who was not just cheering for the Zags, she was cheering for Keani. It was at this time that Keani realized that she was not playing entirely for herself or her team, but she was playing for the fans, and whether she played in the game or not, her fans always cheered her on. After this turn of events, Keani started fighting for the “nitty gritty playing time,” and at the end of the season, she averaged eight minutes a game.

                Keani has since become a fan favorite, and one fan told me, "she brought 805 balling to the 509." On and off the court, Keani is now viewed as a role model by many young girls. Whether it's:  a shot she makes, a steal she gets, a picture she takes after the game, or something she says to a fan, Keani is always giving back to her fans. One fan told me, "she helps kids like myself reach for higher goals." Keani takes the time to build relationships with her fans, and many of these relationships extend outside the walls of the gym. Moreover, she is one of the few players around the country who truly respects her fans as much as they respect her. 

                While the distance from her family was hard her first two years at Gonzaga, she is used to it now. She says that, “Playing a lot of games in California helps.” So naturally Keani’s favorite places to play are in Southern California so that her family and friends can be at the games - and so she can get In n’ Out after the games.

                As her college career winds down, Keani took a look back on what basketball has done for her. When asked if basketball had gotten her through something she didn’t think she would have gotten through without it, she responded simply by saying, “Life.” Basketball shaped the person she is today and opened up countless doors and opportunities for her. Basketball gave her one big giant family consisting of all of her teammates and fans.

                   Being a veteran of the game now, Keani would say that, “she’s getting perty old.” While Keani is currently unsure of what the future holds for her, she said, “To be drafted would be amazing. Anywhere they send me would be amazing. I may play with the Mexican National team this summer.” Other than that, Keani is just going to play her game and trust that God will lead her to the right place.