With
the NBA Draft coming up this week, I find myself curious as to
where West Virginia’s Joe Alexander will land. Just a few short
years ago Alexander was basically un-recruited coming out of
high school, save for a few Division III schools. After
attending an exposure event for un-recruited seniors, Alexander
was offered a spot at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, a
well know basketball Mecca. After a somewhat undistinguished
season at Hargrave, Alexander moved onto WVU for three years,
and he now finds himself on the cusp of an NBA career.
As a high school coach in Virginia, I had the opportunity to get
to know John Beilein and his staff when they were at the
University of Richmond. After hearing Coach Beilein speak at a
clinic, I began taking my teams to his camp each summer and
traveling to Richmond each year to watch practice. I became a
fan of his offensive ideas and of his great ability to improve
the skill level of his players. When Coach Beilein moved to West
Virginia University, I continued to travel to his practices. One
fall in particular, I arrived at the basketball office prior to
practice. On the way down to the floor for practice, Coach
Beilein asked me if I had seen a kid named Joe Alexander play in
high school. I told Coach Beilein that I had not seen Joe play,
and he told me that Alexander was currently on his visit and
would be at practice.
The Mountaineer staff felt like they had found a potential
“diamond in the rough” in Alexander. He was raw, super athletic,
and seemingly under-recruited, though interest seemed to be
picking up around that time. As I watched practice sitting next
to Joe Alexander, we did not talk too much. At the beginning of
practice he mentioned other visits he had scheduled. I did share
with him how highly I thought of Coach Beilein during practice.
Towards the end of practice, Alexander mentioned that he thought
he was going to cancel his remaining visits and commit to WVU. I
briefed the coaching staff on my short conversation with
Alexander, thanked them for their hospitality, and made the
drive over the mountains back to Northern Virginia. During
college basketball season, I always take an interest in Coach
Beilein’s teams.
Over the next couple of years, I took a particular interest in
watching the development of Joe Alexander. I thought back to how
excited the coaching staff was about his upside, and his
athleticism. I began to see the impact of playing for one of the
best coaches in the country, as Joe Alexander’s skills improved
dramatically. No longer was Alexander just an athlete. He could
shoot the three, put the ball on the floor, and pass, like most
of Coach Beilein’s players. Something was missing,
however…Alexander was inconsistent and seemed to get pushed
around at times. Granted, Coach Beilein’s system is one of
finesse, but Alexander struggled at times in the well-known
physicality of Big East basketball…
Coach Beilein began the exodus of West Virginia coaches to
Michigan, and along came WVU alumnus Bob Huggins. Also
considered to be one of the top coaches in the country, it is
also not a stretch to call Huggins the polar opposite of John
Beilein. Where Beilein is know for his calm demeanor and finesse
style of basketball, Huggins is known for his intensity,
motivation, and physical style of play. A perfect storm was
brewing in the development of Joe Alexander. All of the things
that seemed to be lacking in Alexander’s game were trademarks of
Bob Huggins’ coached players. Alexander was immediately put on a
serious weight training program, gaining much needed bulk and
strength. Along with that increased strength came increased
confidence and consistency. Alexander showed great improvement
throughout the course of his junior season, playing as well as
anyone in the country down the stretch run of the regular season
and into tournament time.
Now, Alexander is poised to be a potential lottery pick in
Thursday’s NBA draft. What a perfect storm for Joe Alexander,
having the opportunity to play for two of the top coaches in the
country in a three-year span. His skill level took off under
Coach Beilein and his size, strength, toughness, and consistency
rose to new levels under Coach Huggins. What a journey it has
been for this under-recruited kid from Mt. Airy, Maryland. He
should certainly thank his college coach for all of his help.
His NBA media guide bio should list his college coach as Coach
Hugglein or maybe Coach Beiggins. He certainly benefited under
the tutelage of two of the best.
Brian Doyle is an Assistant Principal and Associate Head
Coach at Centreville High School in Clifton, Virginia. Prior to
becoming Assistant Principal, Doyle was a high school head coach
for thirteen years. Brian also serves as member of the voting
panel for the prestigious Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year
Award.
With
the NBA Draft coming up this week, I find myself curious as to
where West Virginia’s Joe Alexander will land. Just a few short
years ago Alexander was basically un-recruited coming out of
high school, save for a few Division III schools. After
attending an exposure event for un-recruited seniors, Alexander
was offered a spot at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, a
well know basketball Mecca. After a somewhat undistinguished
season at Hargrave, Alexander moved onto WVU for three years,
and he now finds himself on the cusp of an NBA career. 
