subscriber servicessubscribecontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Mon, Dec 01 2008 

Published: May 25, 2008 02:23 am    print this story   email this story   comment on this story  

COLUMN: Alexander getting rave NBA reviews

By Mickey Furfari
For the Times West Virginian

MORGANTOWN It continues to look more and more like Joe Alexander will decide to skip his senior basketball season at West Virginia University and turn professional.

The 6-foot-8 forward was getting great reviews last week while working out with National Basketball Association veterans in Las Vegas.

After watching him perform out there, Chad Ford of ESPN.com wrote: “Alexander could very well be the sleeper in the 2008 NBA draft. At the beginning of the year, he was barely on NBA radar screens. Now many teams consider him a potential lottery pick.”

There’s no question that the late-blooming Mountaineer marvel’s stock has skyrocketed since announcing that he would test NBA waters. In an informal poll of a few NBA general managers, Ford found Italy’s Danilo Gallinari first and then a split between Alexander and Syracuse’s Donte’ Greene as the second small forward off the board.

“It will be interesting to see where teams go,” Ford admits. “Gallinari is the anti-Alexander. He’s got high basketball IQ without the elite athleticism of Alexander. Greene is in a similar situation with Alexander — an athletic small forward still trying to get a feel for the game.”

He noted that Alexander continues to gain strength while keeping off the fat. Joe Abunassar, who oversees the workouts in his Las Vegas gym, was quoted as saying the WVU star is one of the strongest pro prospects he’s working with.

Ford said, “He measured out well with a height of 6-foot-7 3/4 in socks and 6-foot-9 in shoes. He also has great speed running up and down the floor. His lateral quickness is also excellent.

“The other thing to like about Alexander is his aggressiveness. He can play a little nasty at times, shows a lot of competitiveness, and isn’t afraid to take on anyone. In a light moment, he started sizing up his competition in the draft and predicted he would beat them in workouts.”

Ford feels that while he still needs to work on his consistency and ball-handling, “he’s a very intriguing prospect.” He concluded, “Look for teams like the Blazers at 13, the Suns at 15 and the Raptors at 17 to take a long look at Alexander.”

Jeff Goodman, senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com, also caught up with Alexander at Las Vegas as he ponders the pros and cons of turning pro. He was still undecided last Friday.

“Alexander has a refreshing perspective on the information he’s given about his potential place in the June 26 NBA draft,” Goodman wrote. It is not an overload of information, the player said. “Because at this point, nobody knows — even the guys at the top aren’t certain what they’re going to do.

“I’m just taking in all the info and taking it with a grain of salt. Anytime you hear something good about yourself, you want to believe it and when you hear something negative, you discard it. But for me, it’s been exciting.”

According to Goodman, Alexander isn’t 100 percent certain whether he’ll participate in this week’s NBA pre-draft Camp in Orlando, Fla. But sources told FOXSports.com that he likely will be one of the elite group of players brought down there for physicals and testing and will not play games.

Alexander continues to talk frequently with WVU coach Bob Huggins, who has told his prized pupil as well as the public that he wants what is best for the highly regarded pro prospect.

In the meantime, Alexander admittedly thinks about the draft whenever he’s relaxing. “I talk about, think about it. That’s all I do.”

print this story   email this story   comment on this story  

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.



Photos


West Virginia’s Joe Alexander passes the ball after driving by University of Maryland Baltimore County’s Jay Greene during the first half Saturday in Morgantown. West Virginia won, 86-62. AP PHOTO/Associated Press (Click for larger image)

monster
wheels
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide

Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!

Premium Jobs

EASY INDOOR $8-$13 per hour
ATTENTION
GREAT ENVIRONMENT
EASY INDOOR
YEAR ROUND JOBS
$8-$13/HR
(304)363-0155
...>MORE

UHCTECHNICIAN IV/Clinical Engineering.

Immediate Openings. TECHNICIAN IV/Clinical Engineering. The
responsibilities of this position are to inspect
...>MORE

Executive Director
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
STOCKERT YOUTH
CENTER
The Stockert Youth Center seeks an energetic, creative, outgoing
...>MORE

Hospital Open House
OPEN HOUSE
Nutrition Services Aide
Housekeeping Assistant
Thursday, November 20, 1 pm - 5 pm
gift S
...>MORE

Mechanical Engineering Technology
Temporary Faculty Position
for Spring Semester:

Mechanical Engineering Technology: Expertise in the fol
...>MORE

OPEN INTERVIEWS
Earn $$$$ for the Holidays.... Full time, Part time, and temporary positions are available for immediate employment. OP...>MORE

Receptionist
Receptionist 
Morgantown accounting firm seeking receptionist. Experience with general office equipment and Micros
...>MORE

MACHINIST &Polishing MachineOperators
SWANSON PLATING COMPANY
Polishing Machine
Operators

New Polisher positions have been created at Sw
...>MORE

Fairmont company/Sales Department.
Fairmont company seeks highly organized, detail-oriented individual who is computer proficient and knowledgeable of Micr...>MORE

Auto coordinator & CDL Drivers off22
vCDL Drivers - Mountain state Auto Auction is now hiring dedicated, hard working, Class A CDL truck drivers for in and o...>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2008. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index