Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Madison Hovren serves as natural leader for Bears

Madison Hovren is a self-admitted perfectionist.

So if you see the Central Valley senior drop her head in disgust on the basketball floor, there’s a good reason why.

She believes every time she shoots she should make the shot.

Just like every time she gets a final grade in a class she expects nothing less than an A-, because that’s the worst grade she’s had.

“In anything I do, I’m going to give my best and I expect the best,” Hovren said.

Nobody is harder on Hovren than Hovren.

That’s why at the start of her sophomore year, after starting as a freshman, she began doing something to motivate her each game. She wrote the letters “NL” on her wrist with a Sharpie before each game.

It was something she and her coach, Freddie Rehkow, came up with as a way to inspire her to improve. It stands for “next level” – meaning she needed to use every opportunity to prepare her game for college.

The 5-foot-10 Hovren may be the best back-to-the-basket player to come through the Greater Spokane League. By post standards, she’s short.

Hovren makes up for it with a long wingspan and big hands.

“Her hands are worth another 2 inches or more in height,” Rehkow said. “That’s why she’s such a great rebounder.”

Hovren has 821 rebounds and is on pace to break 1,000.

In the summer before her freshman year, Hovren came off the bench for CV in tournament games.

A projected starter broke a leg and that opened the door for Hovren to start right away as a freshman. She’s been in the starting lineup since.

That included the State 4A championship game her freshman year when the Bears lost on a 3-point shot at the buzzer to Skyview of Vancouver.

The ball was in the air when the horn sounded.

The last couple of minutes of the game are frozen in her memory.

“We were ahead by 10 points with 2 minutes to play,” Hovren said.

CV had a 43-38 lead with 3 minutes to go and didn’t score again.

CV made some mistakes and all of a sudden the score was tied at 43.

“They had the ball with 3 seconds to go,” Hovren said. “A girl takes a 3-point shot with two of our players in her face and the ball went in. It was a horrible way to lose.”

Hovren hopes to erase that memory this season.

“I need some redemption,” she said.

Hovren believes her final team has the potential to be as good, if not better, than the one that finished as state runner-up.

The problem is, defending state champ Gonzaga Prep stands in the way. The Bullpups handled the Bears 72-53 in an early meeting last week.

Hovren and Rehkow expect a different game against G-Prep in the second half of the season. Not a victory, per se, but a cleaner game.

“We have so much room for growth,” Rehkow said.

Rehkow expects Hovren to be leading the improvement.

Hovren is rewriting CV’s record book. She has a chance to finish her GSL career at the top of the scoring list.

Among the various records Hovren holds, she has attempted 673 free throws. She’s also scored 10 points or more in 48 consecutive games.

She credits Rehkow and Spokane Stars coach Ron Adams, who has been her club coach the past three years, for making huge contributions to her game.

Adams said it’s obvious what has been Hovren’s strength the last four years.

“She’s so physically strong and she knows how to create contact,” Adams said. “She asks for contacts. She’s the best at drawing contact of any player I’ve coached in 35 years. She’s like a middle linebacker. She likes to be hit.”

Every time a post defender tries to stop the left-handed Hovren, she finds her way to the free-throw line.

“She’s crafty. She has a scorer’s mentality,” Rehkow said. “She has a knack at getting to the free-throw line. You can’t teach that.”

There’s an intangible that Rehkow appreciates about Hovren.

“She’s a gamer,” he said. “She brings a competitive fire to the floor.”

Hovren uses her strength to ward off defenders. It’s an asset that’s allowed her to rebound as effectively as she scores.

“Her hands are like flypaper,” Adams said. “If she gets her hands on the ball, you’re not taking it away.”

As for the scoring records, Rehkow gave Hovren some advice going into the season.

“We had a conversation,” Rehkow said. “I told her that with the kids around her she would get the ball and not worry about it. The nice thing this year is people can’t double- and triple-team her like they have the last two years. I told her to take care of the team and everything else will take care of itself.”

Even though she drew much attention, Hovren still managed to lead the GSL in scoring as a sophomore and junior.

Last month, Hovren signed a letter of intent to play for Army.

She chose West Point over Montana, Montana State, Utah State and San Jose State – all schools that would have been closer to home and easier for her family to get to.

But Hovren, who carries a 3.95 grade-point average, wanted to be challenged on and off the court. Her commitment to Army will extend another five years after she’s done playing.

Where that takes her to she has no clue.

Rehkow has an idea.

“She wants to be a CEO. She doesn’t want to work for people,” he said.

Hovren’s job right now is CEO of the Bears.

She’s embracing the opportunity.

“We have the ability to be really good,” she said.

“Later in the season we’re not going to be the same team you saw against Prep.”