Alexander’s special night
From the time he was 14 years old in the eighth grade I have heard about the talents of Trey Alexander Trey Alexander 6'4" | SG Oklahoma City Heritage | 2021 State #55 Nation OK . Typically, when you are hearing the noise from all different sides the player turns out to be pretty close to the hype surrounding them. In this case Alexander has been everything people said at 14 and then some.
Last Friday night with a packed arena at Midwest City High School Alexander put together the best single game performance I have seen all season. Currently Alexander is rated #42 by 247, #54 by Rivals, 49th by ESPN, and 24th by Prep Hoops. I can tell you now Alexander is a Five-Star prospect if I have ever seen one. Many times it is harder for Oklahoma prospects to gain the respect and notoriety from national rankings due to location in the high school season.
This summer Alexander will get to show everyone what I am talking about on the Nike EYBL with Team Griffin. On the Nike Circuit is where Alexander can improve his national ranking. So what are the skills I am referring to that made Friday night so fun to watch and have me calling for a Five-Star rating.
I am glad you asked.
Alexander has long been known as a scorer at all three levels. Shooting is an area he has improved upon over the calendar year from three-point and mid-range. One of the reasons why his shot has progressed positively is what we saw Friday. The separation Alexander is able to get off the dribble leads to larger open looks at the hoop.
Alexander diced the defense using his refined ball handling skills at the Point. Many still project Alexander as a Combo Guard in college who will play the two. The fact of the matter even if Alexander is a two being able to handle the ball like a Point will help him in the long run of his basketball career.
I expected to see the two things above on offense as well as even the nice vision and passing from Alexander. But what came next I was not prepared for one bit.
Five huge blocked shots by Alexander turned into quick fast break points for Heritage Hall. It got the crowd to their feet seeing a national caliber player give his all on both ends of the floor. Alexander is not one of these guys who is too cool for school to play defense.
One of his big defensive plays turned into a rim rattling dunk. Yet another thing you can add to the Alexander bag on offense.
A Five-Star prospect has to be so dominant on one end of the floor it is undeniable or great at both ends. Alexander fits the bill on both ends of the floor using his long wingspan to adjust and block shots. An under the radar skill Alexander possesses is how well he rebounds the basketball. Oklahoma does not have a one stop shop for stats unfortunately, but if we did I would have to think Alexander would be in the top 5 of rebounds.
As I wrap up talking about Alexander’s thirty point night in the Class 4A Area Finals I wanted to save the best thing about his game for last.
What does every great player have to have?
A killer mentality. Alexander has the “IT” factor in his game the way he attacks the game every night. But even better about Alexander is it seems the bigger the game the better Alexander plays.
This week if you get a chance do yourself a favor and go watch Alexander and Heritage Hall in the Class 4A State Tournament.