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The Sports Xchange

OVERVIEW

A global traveler as a child, Alexander was born in Taiwan, where he lived for two years before spending another year in Hong Kong and five more in Beijing. With that type of childhood, he got a late start playing basketball, lettering just two seasons at Linganore High School.

When major college recruiters failed to call, Alexander spent the 2004-05 season at Hargrave Military Academy. There, he was discovered by former WVU assistant and present Eastern Kentucky head coach Jeff Neubauer.

After Neubauer saw Alexander, he had to move quickly to get former West Virginia coach John Beilein to see him because other schools were starting to find out about him. Tulane had already been down to talk to Alexander and South Carolina was beginning to call as well.

At Linganore High School, Alexander earned first-team Monocacy Valley Athlete League Chesapeake Conference honors. The two-year letter-winner served as team captain his senior year, adding Frederick County All-Star first-team accolades. He was named 2004 Mt. Airy Gazette Player of the Year and also garnered Frederick Gazette Player of the Year recognition.

Alexander also earned first-team All-State honors from the Frederick Gazette and Frederick News Post. He was a member of the Washington Post's honorable mention All-Metro team. He averaged 14.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as a senior. He also set school records for blocks in a season (90) and season field goal percentage (58.0).

His two seasons with Beilein produced mixed results. Alexander wasn't entirely suited for Beilein's perimeter style system and Beilein wasn't entirely comfortable with Alexander's lack of experience. Basketball savvy is an important component in Beilein's system and Alexander had very little of it.

Consequently Alexander played a limited role during most of West Virginia's remaining nine-game run toward the NIT title. In 2005-06, he appeared in 10 games, logging just 36 minutes of action off the bench. He scored just 13 points on 4-of-8 field goals while coming up with seven rebounds. He also blocked seven shots and dished out a pair of assists.

In the 2006-07 season, Alexander moved into the starting lineup for all 36 games, averaging 10.3 points per game, shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from the foul line. He totaled 143 rebounds with 70 assists, 38 blocks and 22 steals while averaging 25 minutes per game.

After that season, Beilein left to take the Michigan job. Alexander, who had added more than 20 pounds to his frame during the off-season, was forced to learn an entirely new way of playing when Bob Huggins was hired. What immediately got his attention, though, was the fact that Huggins has a long track record of producing NBA players. Alexander has a laser-beam like focus and a goal of his even back to his days at Hargrave Academy.

"One of the things he said to me that convinced me was that he wanted to play in the NBA," Neubauer recalled. "Some guys say that and you're like, whatever, but the way he said that -- the way that he talked and stared me right in the eyes -- he was very convincing."

Most of the first part of the 2007-08 season that Alexander spent with Huggins had been a battle of wills: Joe wanting to play his style and Huggins fighting to harness his great ability and using it to his advantage on the court. The demarcation point in Alexander's basketball career may have come at halftime of a 79-71 loss at Connecticut when Huggins called Alexander out in front of the team in the locker room at halftime. Huggins didn't hold anything back.

Alexander's production after that dressing down was staggering, and he went on to earn All-American and All-Big East Conference honors.

The USBA All-District I selection led the team in scoring (607 points, 16.9 ppg), as he made 46.2 percent of his field goals and 81.4 percent of his free throws while averaging 31.6 minutes per game. He also averaged 6.4 rebounds, as he was credited with 88 assists, 54 blocks and 26 steals.

"I think I've reached this point because I've started to do 100 percent what the coaches have asked me to do and stop trying to do what I wanted to do," Alexander admitted. "It turns out what he's been telling me to do is 100 percent right."

Huggins said it was simply a matter of Alexander slowing down and giving the defense time to react to him. Sometimes he will make two moves at once, not giving the defense time to react to his first move and thus canceling out the second move.

"He does a much better job of reading the defense," Huggins said. "He's such a hard match up because if you put a bigger guy on him he can take him out on the floor and beat him off the dribble and get him to the basket or hit pull-up jump shots. If you put a smaller guy on him he can go down in the post and put people on his back."

"I would grab the ball and try to move really fast and do everything in my repertoire all at once," Alexander said. "But now Coach has got me to recognize that it's actually better to move slower on the court."

After West Virginia lost in the third round of the NCAA Tournament, Alexander announced that he was entering his name for consideration for the 2008 NBA Draft. He left the door open for returning to school, having not signed with an agent. But, based on his stellar performance at the Las Vegas Camp, many scouts are calling him not only a lock to be taken in the first round, but also a potential lottery candidate.

ANALYSIS

Positives: His body is rapidly maturing, having added more than 20 pounds of bulk to his frame before the 2007-08 season ... Explosive open floor player who shows very good vision and high basketball IQ ... Plays with good intensity on both ends of the court ... Fluid athlete who is ideal for the small forward position, but his strong base and anchor could earn him several minutes on help defense as a power forward ... Patient on the court and even though he has the foot speed to get back on the fast break, he is also smart enough to know when he needs to slow down the pace of the game ... Glides to the rim with ease and is very effective at hanging in the air and getting to the basket ... Good at taking off-kilter shots ... Fierce practice player who is called the best worker on the team by the coaching staff (coaches say it is a regular occurrence for the staff to have him open and close the weight room) ... Has excellent strength, balance and a lower power base for a small forward ... His length and execution going to the rim is becoming legendary in WVU circles, where he is capable of 360-degree spins on his jump shot, or by simply driving to the rim by elevating at the foul line, not landing until he sinks the ball into the basket ... Simply gets great separation off the ground, creating big space while the surprised defender stands by frozen ... Because of his court vision and intelligence, the staff had great success using Alexander on isolation sets, as he seems to thrive when allowed to attack and take charge working inside ... Uses his length and footwork often to create separation in the low post or from the top of the key ... Shows very good elevation and extension, doing a nice job of driving to the basket to put in a resounding dunk ... Makes a nice living above the rim, as he is very effective at drawing contact or dishing out punishment in the paint ... Knows how to draw the defender out and then slash on the opponent, drawing fouls to get to the free throw, where he shows good elbow bend and a quick release on his free throws ... Shows good vertical skills on his jump shot, as he gets off the ground quickly and demonstrates a high release ... Has a little bit of Larry Bird in him with his ability to make plays off the backboard, showing outstanding spin and windmill moves ... Too quick and explosive off the dribble for three-types to cover and will generally dominate when the opponent puts their two-man on him, taking advantage of the size mismatches ... Since given more free reign under coach Bob Huggins, he has shown the skills and quick feet to pull up and fire his jumpers from mid-range ... Has a tighter command of the ball when putting it on the floor and can get to the rim off the dribble ... Best playing with his back to the basket, where he does a good job of executing a solid jump hook that has the elevation and arch to get over the defender's out-stretched arms ... Good ball handler who gets out the post entry passes smoothly ... When he gets the ball inside, he will generally finish the play with a big dunk ... Has made great strides in 2007-08, showing much better post-up moves on the low block ... Uses his frame well to box out bigger front court players ... With his added bulk, he has become much more dominant finishing at the rim ... Has great touch around the basket and the superb lateral agility to post up smaller defenders (has become a very good slasher) ... Very good shot blocker and physical post performer ... Gets to the offensive glass for the rebound or put-back very good for a wing player ... Has the smooth stride fade away from the block to sink his mid-range attempts ... Shows good shooting acumen with either hand, developing an efficient turnaround jumper ... Good rhythm shooter with his mid-range ability, doing a nice job on the one dribble crossover ... His high release point causes the defender to struggle getting to his attempts in isolated coverage (just as efficient vs. double teams) ... Capable of converting his turnaround jumper and drawing contact, as he has the long stride to get to the rim off the dribble.

Negatives: Very good shooting near the basket or from mid range, but his outside shooting mechanics need refinement, where he lacks range and consistency ... Might not ever be able to create his shot from the perimeter, as he will struggle some vs. bigger opponents when trying to change direction when working in a crowd ... Despite his high release point, his accuracy suffers greatly when shooting from beyond the arc and needs to set his feet better ... Has shown improvement in 2007-08, but his ball handling skills are marginal-to-adequate ... Earlier in his career, he would bring the ball down with a high dribble and still gets out of control when he puts the ball on the floor before getting to the rim (pushes it forward too hard at times, causing the ball to roll off his fingers) ... Still lacks a great feel for pressure defense and leaves his feet too early by an opponent's savvy pump fakes ... Has the foot speed to cover small forwards, but needs to develop a better feel on defense, as he's often beaten off the dribble ... Has developed a nice mid-range jumper, but needs to set his feet better, as he takes too many off-balance shots ... Gets out of control at times on help defense and needs to do a better job of reaching around in attempts to steal the ball, as his sloppy hand work has led to foul troubles ... Must do a better job of keeping his stance lower, as he gets too tall in his base, inviting opponents to simply clobber him on drives to the basket ... When he stands tall, he looks too stiff trying to stay in front of the speedy wing performers.

Compares To: TOM GUGLIOTTA-ex-Phoenix ... Like Gugliotta, Alexander is a high energy type with excellent strength in the paint, doing a nice job of boxing out his man and establishing position under the rim. He is an aggressive player with the raw power to combat the bigger centers and shows very good shot blocking skills for a wing player. He has very good athleticism, but must do a better job of staying lower in his stance, as he gets a bit stiff trying to change direction when speedy perimeter shooters try to slash by him. He does a good job of drawing contact to get to the free throw line and shows good ability to score in the post. He has that tireless work ethic, proudly wearing his "gym rat" tag and his progress is remarkable, considering he has only five years of organized ball under his belt. Some teams are enamored by Italy's Danilo Gallinari as the premier small forward in this draft, but a general manager that opts to take Alexander with a lottery pick might look like a genius in a few years.

CAREER NOTES

Alexander started 70 of 82 games during his time at West Virginia, scoring 990 points (12.1 ppg) on 367-of-821 shooting (44.7 percent ), 51-of-173 three pointers (29.5 percent ) and made 205-of-268 free throws (76.5 percent ) ... Grabbed 393 rebounds (4.8 rpg), including 123 from the offensive glass ... Added 160 assists with 99 blocked shots and 49 steals ... Charged with 182 personal fouls and had 147 turnovers ... Scored double figures in 48 games, most among the team's active players ... Blocked 99 shots during his career, ranking eighth on the school's all-time record list ... His 54 blocked shots in 2007-08 tied Phil Wilson (1993-94) for sixth on the school's season-record chart.

2007-08 SEASON

All-American third-team selection by The NBA Draft Report, earning honorable mention from the Associated Press ... United States Basketball Writers Association All-District I first-team choice ... Added All-Big East Conference first-team recognition ... Started 34-of-36 games at small forward, leading the team in scoring with 607 points, the most by a WVU player in a season since Wil Robinson scored 706 points in 1972 ... Averaged 16.9 points, making 219-of-474 field goals (46.2 percent ) ... His 219 field goals are the most by a WVU player since Lowes Moore had 237 in 1978 ... Hit on 11-of-41 (26.8 percent ) three-point attempts and 158-of-194 free throws (81.4 percent ) ... His 158 free throws were the most made by a Mountaineer in a season since Robinson had 176 in 1972 ... Pulled down 231 rebounds (6.4 rpg), with 68 coming off the offensive glass ... Credited with 88 assists, 54 blocked shots and 26 steals, but was charged with 102 personal fouls and had 80 turnovers ... Registered five double-double performances ... Near the end of the season, Alexander scored 32 points at Connecticut, 32 points vs. Pitt, 29 points at St. John's, 22 points vs. Providence, a career-high 34 points vs. Connecticut in the quarterfinals of the Big East championship and 12 points vs. Georgetown in the Big East semifinals ... His 34 points vs. Connecticut were the most ever by a West Virginia player in Big East tournament play ... His 34-point total was the most in a Big East tournament game since Pitt's Vonteego Cummings scored 37 vs. Villanova in 1998 ... The last time a Mountaineer scored more than 149 points in five consecutive games was Robinson in 1972 ... Alexander became the sixth Mountaineer player to score at least 149 points in five consecutive games, joining Robinson, Rod Hundley, Rod Thorn, Jerry West and Mark Workman.

2007-08 GAME ANALYSIS

Blocked seven shots, added three assists with four steals, grabbed eight boards and scored eight points vs. Prairie View A&M ... Put in 16 points to go with 10 rebounds, four blocks and two assists vs. New Mexico State ... Poured in 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting, as he had eight boards, two blocks and four assists vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore ... Put in 19 points and took down 10 rebounds vs. Winthrop ... Collected 26 points, six rebounds and five assists vs. Duquesne ... Hit on 9-of-11 field goals, scoring 20 points with eight boards and three blocks vs. UMBC ... Added 21 points with seven rebounds and three assists in the Oklahoma clash ... Blocked three shots and tallied 19 points vs. Marquette, followed by 22 points while holding forward Juan Palacios to six points in the Louisville contest ... Had to sit out the South Florida clash with a groin strain ... Totaled 19 points and grabbed nine boards vs. Providence ... Added 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals vs. Rutgers ... Facing Providence again, Alexander posted 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, taking down seven boards with three assists ... Collected 17 points on 7-of-9 field goals vs. DePaul ... Credited with 32 points with 10 boards, two assists and a pair of blocked shots vs. Connecticut, followed by another 32 points, as he connected on 12-of-16 free throws while snaring six rebounds, two blocks, two steals and a pair of assists vs. Pittsburgh, earning Big East Player of the Week honors ... Scored 29 points on 13-of-15 field goals, as he grabbed 10 boards, doled out two assists and had two steals vs. St. John's, followed by a 22-point, 5-assist effort vs. Providence and 32 points on 10-of-12 shooting, grabbing seven rebounds in the Big East Tournament ... Totaled 14 points with eight rebounds vs. Arizona in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament ... Followed with 22 points on 7-of-8 field goals, 11 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in a 73-67 win over Duke ... Closed out the tournament action with 18 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot in a 79-75 loss to Xavier.

2006-07 SEASON

Started all 36 games he played in, scoring 370 points (10.3 ppg), as he connected on 144-of-339 field goals (42.5 percent ), 40-of-131 three-pointers (30.5 percent ) and 42-of-66 free throws (63.6 percent ) ... Snared 155 rebounds (4.3 rpg), hitting the offensive glass for 55 of those boards ... Generated 22 steals with 70 assists ... Blocked 38 shots and had 64 turnovers with 76 personal fouls ... Scored in double digits in 20 games, producing one double-double performance vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore.

2006-07 GAME ANALYSIS

Had a season-high 23 points vs. DePaul ... Pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds and scored 14 points vs. Maryland Eastern Shore ... Scored 14 points vs. Slippery Rock, including 3-of-3 from three-point range ... Had a game-high 16 points vs. Canisius and 18 points vs. Montana ... Scored 14 points vs. Arkansas and 15 points with seven rebounds vs. North Carolina State ... Added 15 points at Duquesne and 18 points vs. Savannah State, earning Big East Weekly Honor Roll accolades ... Poured in 10 points with seven rebounds vs. The Citadel ... Added 12 points vs. Connecticut and 16 points vs. Villanova ... Scored 10 points and seven assists vs. St. John's, adding nine points in each of the Notre Dame and Marquette contests ... Posted 13 points vs. Marshall and had 17 more at Rutgers ... Totaled 13 points in each of WVU's two games vs. Seton Hall.

2005-06 SEASON

Played in 10 games as a freshman, seeing 36 minutes of action ... Scored 13 points (1.3 ppg), as he grabbed seven rebounds and blocked seven shots ... Added two assists with one steal ... Scored his first collegiate basket vs. Wofford ... Had four points vs. Texas, as he scored five points and blocked five shots vs. William & Jefferson ... Scored 10 points at Georgetown and totaled 11 points, eight boards at Providence.

2004-05 SEASON

Played basketball at Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy.

INJURY REPORT

2007-08 Season: Sat out the South Florida game (1/20/08) with a groin injury that would also limit him to reserve duty vs. Marshall (1/23) and Georgetown (1/26).

HIGH SCHOOL

Attended Linganore (Mt. Airy, Md.) High School, earning first-team Monocacy Valley Athlete League Chesapeake Conference honors ... The two-year letter-winner served as team captain his senior year, adding Frederick County All-Star first-team accolades ... Was named 2004 Mt. Airy Gazette Player of the Year and added Frederick Gazette Player of the Year recognition ... Earned first-team all-State honors from the Frederick Gazette and Frederick News Post ... Member of the Washington Post's honorable mention All-Metro team ... Averaged 14.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as a senior ... Set school records for blocks in a season (90) and season field goal percentage (58.0).

PERSONAL

Athletic Coaching Education major, earning WVU Athletic Director's Honor Roll and Big East Conference Academic All-Star honors ... Son of Allyson and Stephen Alexander ... Older brothers, John and Jeremy, played basketball at Washington College ... Born 12/26/86 in Taiwan ... Lived two years in Taiwan, five in Beijing and one in Hong Kong ... Resides in Mt. Airy, Maryland.