April 19, 2024

Baker signs to play Clarke basketball

By Jocelyn Sheets

Newton High senior Mackenzie Baker signed a national letter of intent on Feb. 14 to play basketball for Clarke University in Dubuque. On hand for the signing were her parents, seated, Corey Baker and Lorelea Baker; back row, standing from the left, sister Cierra Baker, step-mother Amber Christenson-Baker, Newton High head basketball coach Eric Vander Velden, Clarke assistant women's basketball coach Adam Hocking. (NHS Photo)

Mackenzie Baker broke out her career-high game on Newton High’s Senior Night and on the day she signed to play basketball at Clarke University in Dubuque. Baker’s double-double came a week ago on Feb. 14 in a 43-31 loss to Little Hawkeye Conference champion Indianola.

Baker scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds that night while Clarke assistant coach Adam Hocking looked on. Baker signed her letter of intent a couple hours earlier to play for the Pride, which is currently ranked No. 19 in the NAIA Division I coaches’ poll.

“The three things we look for in our recruits at Clarke are academically driven, dedicated basketball players on the floor that want to better and they’re high character student-athletes, ” Hocking said. “Mackenzie fits the mold for all three of those things.”

Baker said Clarke showed some interest in her and she made a campus visit.

“I felt at home. Clarke wasn’t too big and has a great campus. It felt right for me,” Baker said. “Basketball is my favorite sport and I’ve played it since the third or fourth grade. I’ve played in travel leagues and throughout my school years.”

Baker and the Cardinals concluded their 2019-20 season (7-15) on Wednesday night with a 43-38 loss at Washington in Class 4A Region 6 play. The 6-foot post player finished with 162 points this season and ended up with 217 points for her three varsity seasons for the Cardinals.

“We see a lot of growth and potential out of Mackenzie’s game. She has a ton of size so obviously you can’t teach that,” Hocking said.

“She’s got great potential for us and the things we do well offensively. We like to work inside-out so our post game is very important to us,” Hocking said.

Hocking, who has been an assistant coach at Clarke for five years, said he and three-year head coach Courtney Boyd think Baker’s skills and her physical size will mess well with what Clarke does.

“I believe I’m good at communicating on defense and I’m a big body to help out defensively and offensively,” Baker said of what she can contribute to the Pride. “I hope to help with scoring but I know I need to improve on knowing my surroundings and just playing smarter on defense to not get into foul trouble. I have to improve my scoring around the basket.”

Baker was 72-of-159 from the field for 45 percent this season. She was a 64-percent free throw shooter, hitting 30-of-47 attempts. She had 98 rebounds this season. Newton was 4-10 in the Little Hawkeye Conference.

Clarke’s Pride women are 22-5 overall and 16-5 in Heart of American Athletic Conference play, which puts them second in the conference. They finished 21-5 last year and finished in the Elite Eight of the NAIA national tournament.

“I like playing volleyball and competing in track also but basketball is my favorite. Track season is coming up so I hope I can get back to state,” Baker said.

Baker qualified for the Class 3A state track meet in shot put, finishing 23rd at the 2019 state meet. She had a personal-best throw of 35 feet, 10 1/2 inches at the state qualifying meet. She also played on the NHS volleyball team with 43 kills this season and 24 blocks and 29 service aces.

Baker is planning to major in social work at Clarke. She is the daughter of Lorelea Baker of Newton and Corey Baker and Amber Chistenson-Baker of Georgia.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com