The University of Idaho Argonaut

Rachele Kloke takes a jump shot during the basketball game against Utah State Jan. 27. Kloke leads the Vandals in points for the 2010 conference season. File Photo by Ilya Pinchuk/Argonaut

The Idaho women’s basketball team is full of explosive players, but none have come on as strong in the past three years as junior Rachele Kloke, who has doubled her season statistics from her freshman year.

Kloke, along with Shaena Kuehu and Yinka Olorunnife, makes up the bulk of Idaho’s offense on the court. She leads all Idaho players with 16.6 points per game, averaging just under 50 percent shooting from the field as well as leading the team in blocks this conference season.

But this wasn’t always the case — while Kloke had an outstanding high school career where she was a four-sport athlete, the adjustment to college basketball was a tough one to make.

“I looked up to my older brother and wanted to do everything he did,” Kloke said. “Having a dad that is a coach and watching him coach Nathan was how I got involved in the sport.”

Kloke’s father, Dennis Kloke, was a college basketball player for Washington State University and a prominent coach in Kloke’s community.

Under his coaching, Kloke had a successful high school career, capping off her senior year with a 23-point per game average, complimenting her 14 double-doubles. She was named All-state, All-league and All-area player in her senior year.

Kloke got offers from several schools, including Seattle University and Western Washington, which were close to home, but a visit to Idaho sealed the deal for Kloke, who enjoyed not only Idaho’s athletics but academics as well.

“I really liked the girls on the team and thought they were really cool,” Kloke said. “But by far, the business program at Idaho — I just knew it was a fit for me.”

Kloke’s production dropped significantly her first year in college as the adjustment from high school to college ball took its tool. Despite playing in 23 games and starting 16, Kloke averaged just 3.3 points per game. Adding to the troubles, Kloke missed five games with a minor knee injury in the middle of the season.

Determined to improve her game, Kloke spent the offseason communicating with her coaches and getting help from her father to get into the best basketball shape for her sophomore year.

“I would be nowhere without the extra time the coaches put in with me,” Kloke said. “I spent a lot of time shooting and working with my dad on my ball-handling.”

The effort paid dividends for Kloke, who had a breakout sophomore year in which she doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled her statistics from her freshman year.

Under the guidance of Idaho coach Jon Newlee, who took over the program that year, Kloke led the team in shooting. She clipped 42 percent of her shots en route to becoming Idaho’s fourth-leading scorer, tallying nine points per game. She quadrupled her rebound total and tripled her scoring, steals and free throw totals, ranking second on the team in free throw completion.

In her third year at Idaho, Kloke seems comfortable as Idaho’s top scorer. Her size and speed have been giving fits to opposing players, and her consistent jump shot has propelled her to the top of Idaho’s scoring charts. Despite her quality play, Kloke said she still has room for improvement.
“Definitely defense,” Kloke said. “I really need to improve that.”

One thing is certain — if Kloke continues her offseason improvement, opposing defenders better start worrying about Idaho next season.