Top Ten Junior Big Man has Early Favorite
Cliff Alexander, the 245-pound big man, from Chicago, IL Curie High and the D-Rose All-Stars has been on fire this spring earning MVP honors at the Pangos and top post man honors at the NBPA Top 100 camp this past month. He is one of the hottest prospects in the rising junior class and with a strong July will push for a top five spot in the Class of 2014!
One of the things that has lifted his stock this spring is the fact that this long and physically strong big man has really raised his low post game. He can catch and turn, without dribbling, to finish over opponents with jump hook or short jumper off the glass. He loves to drop and dunk once he seals you too. All tools we hadn’t seen from him until this spring. But, Alexander knows he still needs to continue to get better.
“I really need to improve my ball handling,” Cliff Alexander told XOFan. “As well as my jump shot if I want to make the move from center to the power forward spot.”
Alexander is a force on the defensive end of the court where he block shots from help side or on straight up defensive position. He is an attack dog on the glass and as he showed at both the Pangos and NBPA Top 100, he has become a double-double man when he steps on court. Hard worker and competitor will continue to get better. It is that defensive ability that has drawn schools to him in numbers, but is also the reason one school is ahead of the pack.
“My strengths right now, are my ability to block shots and rebound,” Alexander continued. “That has been the reason a lot of schools are recruiting me.”
“Right now, I’m still open, but Michigan State is my current favorite,” Alexander explained. ” I really think Coach Izzo is a great coach and Michigan State has a great campus. But, I need to get to know the other coaches too!”
“I’m also looking at Illinois, DePaul, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Providence, Kansas, Marquette, and Connecticut,” Cliff Alexander told XOFan. “Plus I think that Kentucky contacted my coaches too!”
“But, I’m a long way from making a decision, I hope to cut my list down by the fall, but I’m not in a hurry at this point, I just want to get to know the coaches and continue to work on my game.”
We will continue to follow his recruiting this summer into the fall as he continues to sort through the recruiting process, right here at XOFan.com.