Ht/Wt: 6-8 / 200 lbs
Position: SF
Team: West Virgina
Class: Junior

2008 Draft Profile - Joe Alexander

West Virginia University junior forward Joe Alexander is an early-entry to the 2008 NBA draft, but remains without representation, making him eligible to return for a senior season. Standing 6'8" and weighing about 220 pounds, Alexander started every game he appeared in for Bob Huggins' Mountaineers in the 07-08 season. Hampered by a lower abdominal injury suffered against St John's on January 17th, Alexander wasn't his usual productive self through the last week of January and first couple games of February. However, once March began, Alexander was performing at elite status, evidenced by a stretch of games in which he scored 30 points three times in 5 games. Joe clearly relished his role as Huggins' go-to man, utilizing his new found post and face up game to destroy his opponents, including All Big East selections Sam Young (Pitt) and Jeff Adrien (UConn). On the second day of Big East tournament action, Alexander reached a career-high 34 points as WVU eliminated UConn in Madison Square Garden. During the final minute of the game, Alexander closed the victory in style as he seemingly waited for UConn forward Stanley Robinson to catch up to him on the fast break. He then exploded off of two feet and delivered a monstrous facial which has become a YouTube favorite for Mountaineer faithful. He then led his team to two convincing NCAA wins over powerhouses Arizona and Duke before losing to Xavier in overtime.

For his size, Joe Alexander has above average ability to put the ball on the floor. On several occasions he was able to sky for a rebound, start the fast break and assist a teammate with a pretty bounce pass. In addition, he uses his head and shoulders well to fake a dribble drive and change direction. Very early in the Georgetown-WVU Big East tourney semifinal, Alexander used such a fake and sent Hoya forward Dejaun Summers to his backside. Off the dribble Alexander prefers to go right when pulling up, and his great elevation allows him to shoot over defenders of any size. A very high release point and good mechanics give him great upside as a jumpshooter. As he became a more effective mid-range and face up post player for the Mountaineers, his ability to shoot the 3 became less evident, but it is definitely there. Between sophomore and junior year, Alexander upped his free throw percentage over 15% and spent much of this past season as the Big East's top FT Shooter (about 82%).

When deciding to go all the way to the rim, Alexander has all-world finishing ability off of one or two feet. He showed signs of finishing agressively with awesome power or using the glass with nice touch. Defensively, scouts feel that Alexander's combination of length, athleticism, and strength give him great potential as a NBA wing defender. Usually paired with opposing teams' biggest players, Alexander was rarely able to show off his perimeter defending skills, but on switch-offs he slid his feet well to stop smaller guys. Though playing out of position, he adapted to post defense and one of his brighter attributes lied in his shot altering/blocking skills.

Only 6 years into American organized basketball (he grew up in Taiwan and China), Alexander aims to be a 15-20th pick due to his NBA frame, athleticism, and recent performances on big NCAA stages. His work ethic and competitive drive should allow him to be a solid NBA small forward for many years.
Player profile submitted by: Scott Polyniak - Washington, DC

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Joe Alexander Stats
Season	GP	MPG	PPG	FG%	APG	RPG	BPG	SPG
2007-2008	35	31.6	16.8	46.3	2.4	6.3	1.5	0.7
2006-2007	36	25	10.3	42.5	1.9	4.3	1.1	0.6
2005-2006	10	3.6	1.3	50	0.2	0.7	0.7	0.1
Career	81	25.2	12	44.7	1.9	4.7	1.2	0.6

Joe Alexander Video Clips

Joe Alexander Video Highlight Package



Joe Alexander Dunk From Foul Line



Alexander Dunks on Stanley Robinson






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