Kyle Alexander , a 6-foot-10 1/2, 205-pound power forward from Orangeville Prep (Ontario) and CIA Bounce, committed to Tennessee, his AAU coach Tony McIntyre told SNY.tv.
Alexander also considered Dayton, Missouri and New Mexico.
“I thought it would be a better choice for me and family for me to attend the University of Tennessee,” the Milton, Ontario native told SNY.tv. “It’s closer to home. Rick Barnes is a Hall of Fame coach with a lot of success with Canadians and [I like] his assistant Rob Lanier.”
Barnes coached both Tristan Thompson and Myck Kabongo, fellow Canadians, at Texas and recently added another Canuck in 6-10 Ray Kasongo of College of Southern Idaho. Tennessee also landed reclassified point guard Lamonte’ Turner of IMG Academy in the late period.
Alexander is coming off a fractured wrist (scaphoid bone) but said he just got an X-ray Thursday and his “wrist is good and healed.”
He has a 7-5 wingspan and is the younger brother of Kayla Alexander, who plays for the WNBA’s San Antonio Stars and competed collegiately at Syracuse.
“I think the kid’s going to blow up,” Orangeville Prep coach Larry Blunt recently told SNY.tv. “He’s flown under the radar because he’s never played AAU before this year.
“Kyle can run like most guards. And he really can defend one through five and he pretty much blocks everything that gets thrown up, so I think a lot of people are intrigued with his length, his ability to run, his athleticism. He’s probably gained 10 pounds since he’s been here. He’s just continued to develop each and every day which is kind of exciting.
“I’m not saying he’s Joel Embiid, but [it’s a] similar fashion where he started really late and kind of snuck up on people late. And I think that’s what Kyle’s going to do as well.”
