Cliff Alexander: From top-5 recruit to undrafted in 1 year

[SoonerTraveler]

Cliff Alexander goes from top-five recruit to undrafted in one year

https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaa...cruit-to-undrafted-in-one-year-061802287.html

Sixty prospects heard their names called during Thursday night's NBA draft, however, former Kansas big man Cliff Alexander wasn't one of them. The consensus top-five recruit ranked ahead of Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell only a year ago will now have to try to latch on with an NBA franchise as an undrafted free agent and win a roster spot in training camp.

 

[AdaSooner]

Cliff Alexander goes from top-five recruit to undrafted in one year

https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaa...cruit-to-undrafted-in-one-year-061802287.html

Seeing Alexander's name on the top undrafted list was the biggest surprise fir me. He was considered by some to be the among the top three recruits coming out of high school when he signed with KU. After watching him play in the MickeyD game that year, I thought he would dominate at the next level.

How sad that a once promising college career would end this way!

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Why did he enter the draft?He only played 17 minutes a game. Somebody will pick him up b/c he has upside

 

[CoachTalk]

Why did he enter the draft?He only played 17 minutes a game. Somebody will pick him up b/c he has upside

Wasnt going back to college. $$$ and KU problems... (shocking)

 

[sdcloud9]

Friends of mine at KU said he was trouble the day he walked on campus.

 

[sperry]

He was always going to be undersized for the NBA as a 6'7" post, and he turned out to be lazy and problematic off the court. You don't have much room for error when you're undersized.

 

[Max Power]

Not to mention he trashed Kansas for their handling of his "NCAA Issues" on the way out. NBA GMs frown on that

 

[bgrch1350]

Just another highly recruited high school kid that wasn't patient enough to let the NBA chase him instead of the other way around. He's not the first and he won't be the last either.

Theres always the foreign leagues.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Just another highly recruited high school kid that wasn't patient enough to let the NBA chase him instead of the other way around. He's not the first and he won't be the last either.

Theres always the foreign leagues.

this is nothing to do with why he left for the NBA .. he had no choice

 

[BoulderSooner]

He was always going to be undersized for the NBA as a 6'7" post, and he turned out to be lazy and problematic off the court. You don't have much room for error when you're undersized.

he has a 9'1.5 standing reach and a 7'3.5 wingspan .. he is not undersized

 

[usedtobe1]

this is nothing to do with why he left for the NBA .. he had no choice

True. He had the same problem Tiny Gallon had that forced him to leave OU. His family accepted money (improper benefits) from an agent.

The reason he didn't get drafted was he had the game of a center in a power forward's body. He couldn't shoot or defend on the perimeter like most PF's, and they're not many 6'7" centers in the NBA. The guy did have the body to rebound. He also has a reputation of having an attitude problem.

Another year or two at KU would have helped him. As it is, he will probably be a D league player until he learns to be a PF, but I bet we will eventually see him playing in the NBA.

 

[pnkranger]

All potential, no skill.

 

[sperry]

he has a 9'1.5 standing reach and a 7'3.5 wingspan .. he is not undersized

Those measurements would be great for a wing. He's a post, and he's undersized, long arms notwithstanding.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Those measurements would be great for a wing. He's a post, and he's undersized, long arms notwithstanding.

those numbers are elite for power forwards .. and centers ..

 

[sperry]

those numbers are elite for power forwards .. and centers ..

And 6'7" is well undersized. The length mitigates that to a degree, but 6'7" posts don't have room for error to find a spot in the league. Having work ethic and character issues will get you overseas real quick. We wouldn't be having this conversation if he was 6'9".

 

[usedtobe1]

We wouldn't be having this conversation if he had a perimeter game at 6'7" either.

 

[cvangild]

I love the "he's under-sized" crowd!!I guess they think PF's should be 7'4". I can list dozens of forwards currently in the league that are smaller. Give it a break.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

I can list dozens of forwards currently in the league that are smaller.

challenge issued

 

[AdaSooner]

No doubt about it, Alexander had a disappointing season at the college level, mainly because he spent much of the year in Self's doghouse and on KU's bench. But, it's not like we're talking about an over-hyped loser who has no chance of making it at the next level in time. There is no denying that he had the credentials coming out of high school to support the pre-season hype he received his freshman season at KU. McDonald's and Parade AA; Jordan Classic Co-MVP; Naismith Prep Player of the Year in 2014; and, "Mr Basketball USA," to name just a few of the honors he received:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Alexander

He screwed up by taking the easy route to getting his grades in high school, apparently with a little help from his teachers, and that earned him a seat on the bench as a spectator. It also likely cost him a chance to get a chance to play in the NBA via the draft. Now, he'll have to earn it the hard way as a D-League player for the Nets this summer. I wouldn't bet against this kid. He can play!

 

[dahldennsull]

People need to get away from looking at height. Standing reach is much more important for posts. If a guy is 6'7 but has a 9'1 standing reach due to long arms, he can defend shots and get rebounds better than a 6'10 guy with a 9'0 reach. There is a reason they record it at the combine, since teams know the importance of it.