Cliff Alexander
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Cliffton Nirgel Alexander (born November 16, 1995) is an American professional
basketball player Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's ...
for the
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of the Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto (SPB). He completed his freshman season at the
University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...
for the Jayhawks' on their 2014–15 team. He declared himself eligible for the
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but was undrafted. He played one season for the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
and earned a second year of NBA service with the
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. He played in high school at Curie High School in
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where he won Naismith and Mr. Basketball USA recognition as
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. He did not play organized basketball until eighth grade, but by late in his freshman season he became a notable contributor to his high school's varsity team. He was ranked among the top 20 prospects in the national class of 2014 prior to his sophomore season. As a junior, he moved into the top 10 of the national class and was recognized as an All-American. By the beginning of his senior season, he was considered to be a top 5 player by most talent evaluators and his stock was still on the rise. Following a
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performance during his senior year against the number one team in the country, many experts considered him to be the best player in the national class of 2014. In 2013, he represented
USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA, and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States ...
in international play. Several talent scouts praised his powerful game. As a high schooler, Alexander felt he was most often compared to
Amar'e Stoudemire Amar'e Carsares Stoudemire (born November 16, 1982) is an American-Israeli professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a player development assistant for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NB ...
. He was also contrasted with crosstown rival
Jahlil Okafor Jahlil Obika Okafor (; born December 15, 1995) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Noblesville Boom of the NBA G League. He played his freshman season of college basketball for the 2014–15 Duke Blue Devils men's baske ...
, especially as a senior when they vied for national attention. Alexander was heavily recruited by many top Division I basketball programs and his recruitment was widely followed. He played in the
2014 McDonald's All-American Boys Game The 2014 McDonald's All-American Boys Game was an All-star basketball game that was played on April 2, 2014 at the United Center in Chicago, home of the Chicago Bulls. It was the 37th annual McDonald's All-American Game for high school boys. The ...
, 2014
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and the 2014
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, earning co-MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic. Alexander led Curie to the 2014 Chicago Public High School League city championship in a quadruple-
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game against Okafor that was the lead story on ''
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''. The championship was later forfeited. As a freshman with Kansas, he did not play in the latter part of the season after the
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(NCAA) launched an investigation into his eligibility.


High school career


Freshman season

Alexander, who was also a highly regarded football player, did not play organized basketball until eighth grade. Alexander played on Curie's 2010–11 varsity team as a freshman, but had little impact at first and sat out some games in December. He missed the first ten games due to a
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. In late December, he started getting local attention as part of the reason Curie remained undefeated. During the Chicago Public High School League (CPL) and
Illinois High School Association The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is an association that regulates competition of interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level for the state of Illinois. It is a charter member of the National F ...
(IHSA) playoffs, he contributed significant performances. On March 9, 2011, Curie was eliminated from the IHSA playoffs in a Class 4A sectional semifinal by
Lyons Township High School Lyons Township High School (often referred to as LTHS or simply LT) is a public high school in Western Springs, Illinois (South Campus), and La Grange, Illinois (North Campus). Lyons Township is a coeducational high school and serves grades 9 ...
as freshman Alexander posted 9
points A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...
, 13
rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...
, and 2 blocks in a 66–64 loss. His late-season contributions gave Curie an added dimension, as the team finished with a 28–3 record. Following his freshman season, Alexander began to be recognized by local evaluators as a potential top national recruit. After Jabari Parker and
Jahlil Okafor Jahlil Obika Okafor (; born December 15, 1995) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Noblesville Boom of the NBA G League. He played his freshman season of college basketball for the 2014–15 Duke Blue Devils men's baske ...
, Alexander was already considered the best Chicago area basketball prospect. He earned Red-Central all-conference recognition.


Sophomore season

As late as August 2011, Alexander remained unrecognized by most national evaluators. However, as Alexander entered his sophomore season, he was one of three area prospects that were firmly among the national class of 2014's top 25 prospects (along with Whitney M. Young Magnet High School teammates Okafor and Paul White). As of September 1, 2011, Alexander was ranked 13 by
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and 9 by Rivals.com. On December 30 in the Pontiac Holiday Tournament, Parker's
Simeon Career Academy Neal F. Simeon Career Academy (formerly known as Westcott Vocational High School, Neal F. Simeon Vocational High School, Neal F. Simeon Career Technical Academy), locally known simply as Simeon, is a public four-year vocational school, vocational ...
defeated Alexander's Curie 44–27 as Alexander was almost shut out by Simeon's Steve Taylor. On January 22, 2013, Okafor and Alexander went head to head in CPL play. Curie defeated Young by a 57–46 margin as Alexander had 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks before having a personal foul disqualification. Despite fouling out, Alexander had the better game with nearly a dozen Division I programs in attendance. Curie had a rematch against Simeon in the February 17 CPL championship game with Alexander again being ineffective on offense with four points against Parker and Taylor as Curie lost 53–49. The game broadcast on
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. Following the season, a statewide panel of sportswriters and broadcaster voted Alexander as an Associated Press boys basketball Class 4A all-state honorable mention honoree.


Junior season

At the June 2012 Pangos All-American Camp, Alexander was selected as the Most Outstanding Player. Alexander, who was already a top 5 recruit according to some sources, endured a Summer 2012 foot injury that sidelined him. By mid-July 2012, as ESPN's number 10 ranked prospect, he received an offer from
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
and was being recruited by DePaul,
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
,
Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
and
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
. Upon receiving his offer from Kentucky, he told Rivals.com that his two leading schools were Kentucky and Michigan State. By the fall of his junior season, the Illinois class of 2014 was being mentioned as one of the all-time great statewide classes of basketball players. ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'' writer Joe Henricksen noted that there was a high chance that this would be the fifth Illinois class and first since 2002 to include three
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s. He also noted that the class has a chance to rival if not surpass the classes of 1998 and 2011 which each had nine top 100 players. On November 30, at a Draffenville, Kentucky tournament game against Oak Hill Academy, Alexander scored 26 of his team's 39 points on 12–14
field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. Consequently, ...
shooting in a 72–39 defeat. On December 29, Curie again faced Parker and Simeon in the Pontiac Holiday Tournament (this time in the semifinals). Alexander posted 21 points on 9–10 field goal shooting, but Simeon still prevailed 62–57. Notably, Parker assumed Alexander as a defensive assignment after Alexander gave Curie a 48–47 lead with 4:58 time remaining and Alexander went scoreless the rest of the game. Despite 11 points, 9 rebounds and 8 blocked shots from Alexander, Curie was eliminated from the CPL playoffs in a February 11 quarterfinals 60–58 loss to the Billy Garrett, Jr.-led
Morgan Park High School Morgan Park High School is a four-year public high school and middle school located in the Morgan Park, Chicago, Morgan Park neighborhood on the far south side of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1916, Morgan Park is a part o ...
that went on to become 2013 IHSA Class 3A state champion. On February 26, the Associated Press Illinois Class 4A basketball rankings showed Whitney Young at number 1, and it was also expected that Young's road to the sectional finals would include a March 6 meeting with Curie. According to Henricksen, the March 6 state playoff meeting between Young and Curie was anticipated because it would pit Okafor against Alexander, making it the most highly touted IHSA playoff matchup of centers since 1988 when LaPhonso Ellis led East Saint Louis' Lincoln High School against Eric Anderson's St. Francis de Sales High School. Mike Helfgot of the ''Chicago Tribune'' said that there have not been many matchups between big men this good with so much at stake. On March 2, Alexander attended Senior night at
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...
's
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. The February 2013 Great Plains blizzard caused controversial postponements of several IHSA games including the March 6 Young-Curie game, which was delayed one day. Young defeated Curie 62–58 as the supporting cast made up for Alexander's 14–13 scoring edge over Okafor. In late April 2013, Okafor's father believed it was very possible that Okafor and
Tyus Jones Tyus Robert Jones (born May 10, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The older brother of NBA player Tre Jones, he previously played for his hometown team, the Mi ...
would matriculate together as a package. By late April 2013, there were rumors that Alexander and Justise Winslow would attend whatever school Jones and Okafor attended. Although Alexander was ranked as the fifth best player in the class of 2014 by Rivals.com and had offers from four of the six schools common to Jones and Okafor by the beginning of June, he said the chances of him matriculating with Jones and Okafor was slim. Alexander was recognized as a 2013 All-CPL first team selection by the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' along with Parker, Okafor, Kendrick Nunn and Garrett. Alexander was recognized as an Associated Press All-State Class 4A first team selection along with Parker, Okafor, Malcolm Hill and Sterling Brown. The ''Chicago Tribune'' named him to its All-State first team along with Parker, Okafor,
Jalen Brunson Jalen Marquis Brunson (born August 31, 1996), nicknamed “Brunson Burner” or “Captain Clutch”, is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted with the 3 ...
and Tyler Ulis. Alexander was one of five underclassmen selected by HighSchoolHardwood.com as an All-American, along with Okafor, Jones and Stanley Johnson (all first team) and Joel Berry (second team along with Alexander).


Senior season


Summer and preseason

Alexander has become a member of the Mac Irvin Fire AAU team along with Okafor. During the
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-backed Pro-Am summer basketball Chi-League Alexander, Okafor and Parker were on the same team. He showed potential that
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
himself noticed at the July LeBron James Skills Academy. He also stood out at the July Under Armour Summa Jam, where his Mac Irvin Fire opposed teams led by
Myles Turner Myles Christian Turner (born March 24, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season for the Texas Longhorns before being selected by the Pacers wit ...
and
Karl-Anthony Towns Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (born November 15, 1995), nicknamed “KAT”, and “The Big Bodega”, is a Dominican-American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college baske ...
. On September 4, 2013, Rivals.com updated their ranking with Alexander maintaining his number 4 ranking. At the time, Eric Bossi of Rivals described Alexander as " perhaps the most powerful player in the high school ranks". In September, Alexander believed that he would make his final selection with a December verbal commitment and an April signing of his
National Letter of Intent The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manag ...
. On October 7, the Hoophall Classic schedule was announced and Curie was scheduled to play
Montverde Academy Montverde Academy is a private college preparatory school in Montverde, Florida, United States, located in the Greater Orlando area. The school is widely known for its athletic programs, particularly soccer and basketball. History The school ...
on January 20. By some accounts Kansas was a favorite because his girlfriend was a student at Kansas and the 2013–14 Kansas Jayhawks were scheduled to play the 2013–14 Duke Blue Devils at Chicago's
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in the ESPN Champions Classic on November 12 just before his scheduled announcement. In 2013 Caelynn Manning-Allen became a freshman on the Kansas women's basketball team. However, Illinois was very excited to be in serious contention for Alexander. It was the first time since
Derrick Rose Derrick Martell Rose (born October 4, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. He played one year of college basketball for the Memphis Tigers before being drafted first overall by his hometown Chicago Bulls in the 2008 NBA ...
in 2006 that a top 5 prospect was still considering Illinois so late into his senior year and Alexander's level of interest seemed much higher than Rose's. Following his Illinois visit, his scheduled announcement date had moved forward to November 15. On October 31, Alexander officially eliminated Michigan State from his candidate list, leaving Kansas, Illinois, DePaul and Memphis in contention. On November 7 Alexander was ranked second behind points leader
Emmanuel Mudiay Emmanuel Kabeya Mudiay (born March 5, 1996) is a Congolese-American professional basketball player for the Piratas de Quebradillas of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played high school basketball for Grace Preparatory Academy and Pr ...
in the Mr. Basketball USA preseason tracker. Although he had only one first place vote on the ten ballots, he was ranked ahead of Okafor and Stanley Johnson who combined for seven first place votes. Alexander and Mudiay were the only players named on 9 of the 10 ballots. The preseason points leader has gone on to win the award in four of the prior five years. His November 15 verbal commitment announcement was scheduled on the same date as Okafor, Jones and Stanley Johnson. According to ESPN, all four were among the top 10 in the national class (Okafor #1, Alexander #3, Jones #4 and Johnson #9). On the eve of his announcement, Kansas and Illinois were the favorites for his services. He made his verbal commitment on
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to Kansas basketball on November 15. He was flanked by his father (Clifton Terry) and mother (Latillia Alexander). Prior to his senior season, ''
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'' named him to its 10-man preseason All-USA team along with Stanley Johnson, Jones,
Trey Lyles Trey Anthony Lyles (born November 5, 1995) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted by the Utah Jazz following his freshman season at the University of Ken ...
,
Emmanuel Mudiay Emmanuel Kabeya Mudiay (born March 5, 1996) is a Congolese-American professional basketball player for the Piratas de Quebradillas of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played high school basketball for Grace Preparatory Academy and Pr ...
, Malik Newman, Okafor, Oubre,
D'Angelo Russell D'Angelo Russell (born February 23, 1996), nicknamed "DLo", is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected as a McDonald's All-American in 2014 and played college ...
, and Turner. Alexander was joined on the ''Chicago Tribune'' preseason Illinois Mr. Basketball top 5 by Okafor, Brunson, Ulis and Keita Bates-Diop.


2013–14 regular season

Alexander posted 22 points, 20 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a December 7, 66–62 victory at
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against ''USA Today'' Super 25 number 11 ranked
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and its highly touted Stephen Zimmerman. Alexander almost had to serve a one-game suspension from the game due to having been assessed two
technical foul In basketball, a technical foul (colloquially known as a "T" or a "tech") is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between opposing players on the court, or is a foul by a ...
s on December 1 against
St. Rita High School St. Rita of Cascia High School is an all-boys Catholic high school located in the Ashburn neighborhood on Chicago's Southwest Side., United States. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, is operated by the Province of Our Moth ...
. Alexander had an impressive start to his season. On December 12, he posted a triple double against Dunbar High School with 30 points, 24 rebounds, and 15 blocked shots. That week (December 9–17), he earned the Midwest player of the week from StudentSports.com. As a senior, he finally led Curie past three-time defending tournament champion and four-time defending Class 4A state champion Simeon to win the Pontiac Holiday Tournament with 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 blocks, earning tournament MVP honors. Even as a top 5 selection, Alexander's stock continued to rise as a senior, according to the ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'' Joe Henricksen. Some of the stats that Alexander posted were so impressive as to cause disbelief to some, including ''
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'' high school basketball writer Mike Helfgot and several of his associates. In early January, Alexander continued to be a leading contender for national player of the year, holding on to second place in the Mr. Basketball USA race. On January 10, Alexander led Curie past Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School, which featured Rivals.com Class of 2015 number 10 ranked Carlton Bragg. In the January 20 Hoophall Classic, Alexander led Curie to a victory over
D'Angelo Russell D'Angelo Russell (born February 23, 1996), nicknamed "DLo", is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected as a McDonald's All-American in 2014 and played college ...
,
Ben Simmons Benjamin David Simmons (born 20 July 1996) is an Australian professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one season with the LSU Tigers, a ...
and
Montverde Academy Montverde Academy is a private college preparatory school in Montverde, Florida, United States, located in the Greater Orlando area. The school is widely known for its athletic programs, particularly soccer and basketball. History The school ...
, the number one rated team in the country. Curie trailed by 9 points entering the fourth quarter, but Alexander had 13 of his 30 points in the final 4 minutes and 30 seconds to key the comeback. Alexander also had 12 rebounds and 5 blocks. Following the game, several writers, including
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college basketball writer Jeff Borzello said that Alexander has a valid case to present in terms of being the best high school basketball player in the country (along with Okafor, Turner and Mudiay). High school basketball writer Ronnie Flores regards the performance as one of the top 5 performances against a nationally highly rated high school basketball team since the turn of the century, ranking it with Louis Williams (2005),
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...
(2006),
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(2007) and
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
(2001). The win bolted Curie to the number one ranking in the nation according to StudentSports.com. Alexander's performance moved him to the top of the rankings in the Mr. Basketball USA midseason tracker. He was ranked first by a wide margin and held the number one position on 7 out of 10 ballots.


2014 postseason

As the CPL playoffs began on February 5, a February 21 championship game clash between Okafor and Alexander was pondered in the local press after the 32-team brackets were announced. The CPL playoffs began with victories over Perspectives Charter by 71–37 and North Lawndale Charter High School 75–63. Against North Lawndale, Alexander had 27 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks. On February 16, Curie defeated Simeon 71–64. Alexander had 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 blocks earning a February 19 CPL semifinals rematch against
Hyde Park Academy High School Hyde Park Academy High School (formerly known as Hyde Park High School and Hyde Park Career Academy) is a public four-year high school located in the Woodlawn neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1863, H ...
who they have already beaten twice this season. Alexander and Curie won 58–56 to reach the anticipated city championship matchup with Young and Okafor at the Jones Convocation Center. Alexander had a triple double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks. The matchup was the most anticipated city championship game since at least 1998 when fellow McDonald's All-Americans
Quentin Richardson Quentin Lamar Richardson (born April 13, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who was formerly the director of player development for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Q-Ball", he p ...
of Young and
Corey Maggette Corey Antoine Maggette (; born November 12, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He became an analyst for Fox Sports. High school and college career Magget ...
of Fenwick High School were both top 15 players. On February 20, Alexander improved his first place total in the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, holding eight first place and two second place votes. Curie won the city championship 69–66 in quadruple overtime as Alexander had 20 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks according to ''Chicago Tribune'' and
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, while the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' and ''
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'' credited him with just 12 rebounds. This came against Okafor who had 16 points and 9, 8 or 4 rebounds before fouling out with 2:13 remaining in regulation depending on which of the three sources you believe. The CPL Championship game was attended by
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and was the lead story on the late edition of
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. Seven days later, Curie was forced to forfeit all of its wins and the CPL championship due to the academic ineligibility of seven of its players. The title will remain vacant. Okafor and Alexander vied for a host of local and national player of the year awards, with each winning multiple national player of the year awards. Young and Curie were both in the Marist Class 4A sectional in the 2014 IHSA playoffs and could have met again in the round of sixteen on March 14 if they had both won three regional contests. Despite forfeiting all wins in CPL games, Curie remained eligible to compete in the IHSA playoffs due to differences in eligibility rules. On March 4, Curie lost their opening IHSA playoff game to 11–11
DuSable High School Jean Baptiste Point DuSable High School is a public 4–year high school campus in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Chicago Public Schools and named after Chicago's first permanent no ...
by an 88–85 margin in overtime. It marked Curies first loss of the season on the court with Alexander in the lineup. Alexander posted 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 blocks despite fouling out in the final minute of regulation time. Curie trailed 13–2 early and led 47–32 midway through the third quarter. Curie starters Josh and Joseph Stamps were ineligible for IHSA play as was Malik Washington. In the April 2, 2014, McDonald's All-American Game Alexander posted 9 points and a game-high (tied with
Kevon Looney Kevon Grant Looney ( ; born February 6, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a freshman playing college basketball with the UCLA Bruins men's basketball ...
) 11 rebounds for the losing east team. In the April 18 Jordan Brand Classic, he was co-MVP (with Okafor). In the game, he posted 23 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks.


Awards and honors

Alexander was selected to the 10-man Team USA for the 17th annual
Nike Hoop Summit The Nike Hoop Summit is an international basketball all-star game sponsored by Nike, Inc., Nike, held once a year, which features the USA Basketball Men's Junior Select Team against a World Select Team of international players. The players demons ...
on April 12, 2014, at the
Moda Center Moda Center, formerly known as the Rose Garden, is the primary indoor sports arena in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is used for basketball, rodeos, circuses, conventions, ice shows, concerts, and dramatic productions. The arena has a capa ...
. He was selected along with fellow Chicagoan Okafor and fellow Kansas commit Oubre. He was also selected to the 24-player 37th annual April 2,
2014 McDonald's All-American Boys Game The 2014 McDonald's All-American Boys Game was an All-star basketball game that was played on April 2, 2014 at the United Center in Chicago, home of the Chicago Bulls. It was the 37th annual McDonald's All-American Game for high school boys. The ...
at the
United Center The United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side, Chicago, Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL) ...
. He was joined as a McDonald's All-American by fellow Chicagoans Ulis and Okafor as well as Oubre. He was recognized as first team All-City along with Young teammates White and Okafor as well as Louis Adams, Jr. of Orr High School, and Luwane Pipkins of Bogan High School by the ''Chicago Sun-Times''. On February 18, he became one of three finalists for the
Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award The Naismith Prep Player of the Year award, named for Canadian basketball inventor James Naismith, is given annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to high school basketball's top male and female player. The inaugural awards were given to Dennis Sco ...
along with Okafor and Stanley Johnson. On March 7 Alexander won the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' Player of the Year as well as the Naismith Player of the Year. On March 10, he was one of 26 players selected for the April 18, 2014, Jordan Brand Classic again along with fellow Chicagoans Ulis and Okafor as well as fellow Kansas commit Oubre. He was recognized as one of twenty ''Parade'' All-Americans. He was named
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
Class 4A 1st team All-state with Okafor, Brunson, Ulis and Sean O'Mara. Alexander lost out to Okafor in the Illinois Mr. Basketball voting by a 492–402 vote. He was a ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' first team All-USA Boys Basketball Team selection along with Okafor, Oubre, Mudiay, and Stanley Johnson. He earned first team All-American recognition from
MaxPreps MaxPreps is an American website that specializes in coverage of American high school sports. The site is currently owned by PlayOn. Founded on August 1, 2002, the company has covered up to 29 sports, including boys, girls, and co-ed sports. ...
on April 13. On April 16, he earned another national player of the year award Mr. Basketball USA.


College career

After a controversial college choice ceremony, where he put on two hats and then finished with a Kansas hat, with his father celebrating the bag, Alexander entered his college career as the
Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida ...
Preseason Co-Freshmen of the Year (along with
Myles Turner Myles Christian Turner (born March 24, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season for the Texas Longhorns before being selected by the Pacers wit ...
) according to a vote of the league's head coaches. In its preseason top 100 player ranking, Alexander was listed at number 27 by
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
. ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' named him to its Preseason All-American third team and NBCSports.com named him as an honorable mention for its Preseason All-American team. He was also listed as a John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 candidate and a Wayman Tisdale Award Watch list selection. Alexander was also included in the early December Naismith Award top 50 watch list. Alexander began the season coming off the bench. On November 24, Alexander had his first double-digit output with 10 points against Rider. In the 2014 Orlando Classic semifinals against
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
on November 28, he posted 16 points. Then in the finals against #20
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...
on November 30, he contributed 4 blocks. On December 5 during the Big 12/SEC Challenge contest against
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, Alexander posted a team-high 10 rebounds along with 12 points for his first collegiate double-double. On December 20, Alexander was expected to be in the starting lineup for the first time against Lafayette, but he was not. However, he started on December 22 against
Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
. On January 19 against #19
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
, Alexander posted 13 points and 13 rebounds. The 13 rebounds in just 23 minutes played marked a career high for Alexander and an individual season high for the Jayhawks. Alexander was named Big 12 newcomer of the week on January 26, 2015. Alexander made his second start of the season on February 10 against
Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship institution of the five- ...
, replacing Jamari Traylor in the lineup and posting 10 points, 4 blocks and 5 rebounds. On February 28, Alexander was inactivated due to an undisclosed NCAA investigation as a precautionary measure. He did not play any games after February 23 because of the investigation of his mother's initiation of pre-NBA draft loan processing.


Professional career


Portland Trail Blazers (2015–2016)

On April 7, in the face of a battle for NCAA reinstatement that saw him miss the last 8 games of the season, Alexander declared for the
2015 NBA draft The 2015 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2015, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It was televised nationally in the U.S. by ESPN. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eli ...
. On May 31, Alexander suffered a right knee injury in draft workout with the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. He was not selected in the draft and became the second top-five college recruit to go undrafted after Scotty Hopson. Alexander joined the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
for the
2015 NBA Summer League The 2015 NBA Summer League consisted of three professional sports, pro basketball sports league, leagues organized by the National Basketball Association, NBA: the Orlando Magic, Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas S ...
. He averaged 6.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 22 minutes per game in the Summer League. On July 24, 2015, Alexander signed a 2-year, $1.4 million contract with the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
. By the beginning of training camp, Alexander's injury caused him to be expected to miss two weeks. Alexander missed the entire preseason with the Trail Blazers due to his knee but made the roster and entered the season behind Meyers Leonard,
Mason Plumlee Mason Alexander Plumlee (born March 5, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily plays the forward and center positions. As a freshman in 2009–10, he was ...
, Ed Davis,
Noah Vonleh Noah Vonleh ( ; born August 24, 1995) is an American professional basketball player who last played in 2024 for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers. High school ...
, and Al-Farouq Aminu on the depth chart. Despite minor torn cartilage issues, Alexander was active for the first time on November 8 in Portland's seventh game of the season. Alexander played 17 minutes on November 15, posting 4 points, 4 rebounds and a block against Charlotte. On March 10, 2016, using the flexible assignment rule, Alexander was assigned to the
Santa Cruz Warriors The Santa Cruz Warriors are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Santa Cruz, California, and are affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors play their home games at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Prior to ...
, the D-League affiliate of the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
. On March 20, he was recalled by Portland. On July 7, 2016, Alexander was waived by the Trail Blazers. The transaction was a maneuver to create
salary cap In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Seve ...
space for Festus Ezeli. After he cleared waivers, the Trail Blazers added him to its
NBA Summer League The NBA Summer League, also known as the Las Vegas Summer League, is an off-season basketball competition organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA). NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regula ...
roster.


Erie BayHawks (2016–2017)

On September 8, 2016, Alexander signed with the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...
, but was later waived on October 16 after appearing in two preseason games. On October 29, he was acquired by the Erie BayHawks of the
NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of the 2024–25 season, ...
as an affiliate player of the Magic. In 22 games he averaged 11.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 24.5 minutes.


Long Island Nets (2017)

On January 31, 2017, Alexander was traded to the
Long Island Nets The Long Island Nets are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Uniondale, New York, and are affiliated with the Brooklyn Nets. The team plays its home games at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau County ...
in exchange for a 2017 third-round draft pick. On April 2, 2017, Alexander signed a 10-day contract with the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
. He was waived two days later before appearing in a game for the Nets. The 10-day contract had been guaranteed and earned Alexander a year of service (toward payscale minimums and pension eligibility) in the NBA making him a 2-year veteran.


Wisconsin Herd (2017–2018)

On September 24, Alexander signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...
a few days before training camp began. Alexander was waived on October 14. On October 20, it was announced that the
Wisconsin Herd The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena. History On June 29, 2016, it was anno ...
had acquired returning player rights to Alexander in a trade with Long Island. On November 2, which was the eve of the season tipoff, Alexander was issued a 5-game suspension for violating league's Anti-Drug Program.


ASVEL Basket (2018)

On March 24, 2018, ASVEL Basket was reported to have signed Alexander.


Le Mans Sarthe (2019–2020)

Alexander joined the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
for the 2019
NBA Summer League The NBA Summer League, also known as the Las Vegas Summer League, is an off-season basketball competition organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA). NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regula ...
. On July 30, 2019, he signed with Le Mans Sarthe of the
LNB Pro A LNB may refer to: Sport * Liga Nacional de Baloncesto, a professional basketball league in the Dominican Republic * Liga Nacional de Básquetbol, an Argentine basketball league * Liga Nacional de Básquetbol (Paraguay), Liga Nacional de Básquetb ...
.


Busan KT Sonicboom (2020–2021)

On November 24, 2020, Alexander signed with the Busan KT Sonicboom of the
Korean Basketball League The Korean Basketball League () or simply KBL is a professional men's basketball league in South Korea which was established in 1997. The league consists of ten teams and each team plays a total of 54 games (27 home and 27 away) in the regular s ...
to replace Marcus Derrickson.


Daegu KOGAS Pegasus (2021–2022)

On July 14, 2021, Alexander signed with the Daegu KOGAS Pegasus of the Korean Basketball League. From January 20, 2022, Alexander was temporarily replaced by D. J. White for two weeks. On February 1, Alexander was replaced by D. J. White for the remainder of the season.


Sagesse Club (2022–2023)

Alexander joined Sagesse Club of the
Lebanese Basketball League The Lebanese Basketball League is recognized as the top-tier professional men's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Lebanon. It is organized annually as a national championship with playoffs and a national cup by the Lebanese Basketb ...
for the 2022–23 season. During a game against
Antranik Youth Association The Antranik Youth Association (AYA) (; ), or simply Antranik (; ), is a Lebanese-Armenian multi-sports and cultural club based in Antelias, Matn District, Lebanon. Established in Beirut, Lebanon in 1931, it has consisted of various sports d ...
away from their homeground, Cliff would break one of the two fix backboards used for the game, suspending it for an hour. It's Antranik's second backboard broken in the span of a month, the first being broken by Elias Sebaaly, another player from Sagesse.


Beirut Club (2023–2024)

In October 2023, Alexander joined Beirut Club of the
Lebanese Basketball League The Lebanese Basketball League is recognized as the top-tier professional men's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Lebanon. It is organized annually as a national championship with playoffs and a national cup by the Lebanese Basketb ...
.


Guangxi Rhinos (2024)

In June 2024, Alexander joined Guangxi Rhinos of National Basketball League. Alexander averaged 10.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists in 20.5 minutes in 10 games.


Al-Ahli (2024)

On August 10, 2024, Alexander signed with Al-Ahli of the Bahraini Basketball League.


Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters (2024–2025)

On December 19, 2024, Alexander joined the
Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters The Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters () is a professional basketball club in the Korean Basketball League, based at Anyang Gymnasium in the city of Anyang. The club has won four KBL championship titles ( 2011–12, 2016–17, 2020–21, and 2 ...
of the Korean Basketball League to replace Michael Young. On January 17, 2025, he was replaced by
Johnny O'Bryant III Johnny Lee O'Bryant III (born June 1, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Sagesse SC of the Lebanese Basketball League. He played college basketball for Louisiana State University. High school career Considered a four-st ...
.


Guaiqueríes de Margarita (2025–present)

On March 2, 2025, Alexander signed with the
Guaiqueríes de Margarita Guaiqueríes de Margarita is a professional basketball team based in La Asunción, Venezuela. The team currently plays in Venezuela's Liga Profesional de Baloncesto. The team has won the Venezuelan championships nine times. Current roster LPB t ...
of the Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto (SPB).


National team career

Alexander was selected by
USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA, and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States ...
to represent Team USA in the inaugural 2013 FIBA Americas 3x3 U18 Championship in August. He helped the team achieve gold. In the September 26–29, 2013 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Championship in
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
, Team USA finished 9th with a 7–1 record, losing in the opening round of 16 in the playoffs.


NBA career statistics


Regular season

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Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...
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Personal life

Alexander's father is Clifton Terry, who played basketball for Robeson High School and Kennedy–King College. Following his time at the two-year Kennedy-King, Terry declared for the
2001 NBA draft The 2001 NBA draft took place on June 27, 2001, in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player to be drafted with the first overall pick in the history of the NBA. The selection of Kwame Brown by the Washington Wizar ...
. His professional career included time in the
NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of the 2024–25 season, ...
. Alexander picked up basketball late due to the lack of available safe courts to play on in his Chicago West Side neighborhood known as the
Brian Piccolo Louis Brian Piccolo (October 31, 1943 – June 16, 1970) was an American professional football player who was a halfback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) for four years. He played college football for the Wake Forest ...
community.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Cliff 1995 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportsmen American expatriate basketball people in China American expatriate basketball people in France American expatriate basketball people in Germany American expatriate basketball people in Lebanon American expatriate basketball people in South Korea American men's basketball players ASVEL Basket players Basketball players from Chicago Bamberg Baskets players Beirut Club players Centers (basketball) Daegu KOGAS Pegasus players Erie BayHawks (2008–2017) players Guangxi Rhinos players Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball players Le Mans Sarthe Basket players Long Island Nets players McDonald's High School All-Americans Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Portland Trail Blazers players Power forwards Sagesse SC (basketball) players Santa Cruz Warriors players Suwon KT Sonicboom players Undrafted NBA players Wisconsin Herd players 21st-century American sportsmen Al-Ahli Club (Manama) basketball players Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters players