Cliff Alexander

Cliffton Alexander
Born	(1995-11-16) November 16, 1995 United States
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2014–present
Known for	Playing for Guaiqueríes de Margarita in the Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto (SPB); former NBA player for Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets

Cliffton Nirgel Alexander (born November 16, 1995) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States currently playing for Guaiqueríes de Margarita in the Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto (SPB). He spent his freshman collegiate year with the Jayhawks at the University of Kansas during the 2014–15 season. After declaring for the 2015 NBA draft, he was not selected but secured a spot for one season with the Portland Trail Blazers and later earned a second NBA campaign with the Brooklyn Nets.

Alexander first gained widespread attention while attending Curie High School in Chicago, where he was honored as the national player of the year with both the Naismith and Mr. Basketball USA awards. Having only started playing organized basketball in eighth grade, he rapidly developed to become a key player on his varsity squad by the end of his freshman year. Initially ranked among the top 20 recruits nationally before his sophomore year, he climbed into the top 10 as a junior and earned All-American status. By his senior season, he was recognized as one of the top five players nationwide, with his profile rising significantly after an impressive showing against the country’s top-ranked team.

In 2013, Alexander represented USA Basketball on the international stage and drew comparisons to Amar'e Stoudemire due to his physical style of play. Throughout their senior year rivalry, he was frequently compared to Jahlil Okafor as they vied for national prominence. Attracting intense interest from leading Division I programs, his recruitment became a major media story. He participated in prestigious events such as the 2014 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, the 2014 Jordan Brand Classic—where he earned co-MVP honors—and the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit. Alexander led Curie to a Chicago Public High School League city championship victory in a historic quadruple-overtime contest against Okafor’s team that received nationwide media coverage; however, this title was subsequently forfeited. His freshman year at Kansas was cut short due to an NCAA eligibility inquiry.

Freshman season

Initially recognized more for football, Alexander only began playing organized basketball in eighth grade. He joined Curie’s varsity squad during the 2010–11 season as a freshman but had limited early impact, missing the first ten games because of a heart murmur diagnosis. By late December, he started attracting local attention for helping Curie maintain an unbeaten record. He delivered crucial performances during both the Chicago Public High School League and Illinois High School Association playoffs. On March 9, 2011, Curie was ousted in the Class 4A sectional semifinal by Lyons Township; Alexander recorded 9 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks in a narrow 66–64 defeat. His contributions late in the season bolstered a team that finished with a 28–3 record. Following this campaign, Alexander rose as a leading national recruit and was regarded as Chicago’s top prospect after Jabari Parker and Jahlil Okafor. He earned Red-Central all-conference recognition.

Sophomore season

By August 2011, Alexander had yet to gain significant recognition from national scouts. However, entering his sophomore year, he emerged as one of three local prospects ranked within the national top 25 for the class of 2014 alongside fellow Whitney M. Young players Okafor and Paul White. By September 1, 2011, ESPN.com placed him at number 13 nationally while Rivals.com ranked him ninth. During the Pontiac Holiday Tournament on December 30, Simeon Career Academy led by Jabari Parker defeated Alexander’s Curie team 44–27; Alexander was largely contained offensively by Simeon’s Steve Taylor.

On January 22, 2013, in a Chicago Public League encounter against Okafor’s Whitney M. Young team, Curie secured a 57–46 victory; Alexander contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and three blocks before fouling out. Despite this, many considered his performance superior as several Division I scouts were present. In a February 17 CPL championship rematch against Simeon broadcast on ESPN3, Alexander struggled offensively with just four points as Curie fell 53–49. After concluding the season, he received an Associated Press Class 4A all-state honorable mention from a statewide panel.

Junior season

At the June 2012 Pangos All-American Camp, Alexander received the Most Outstanding Player award. Although he suffered a foot injury during the summer of 2012, he maintained his status as a premier recruit, ranked No. 10 by ESPN by mid-July and attracting scholarship offers from Kentucky, DePaul, Indiana, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. He identified Kentucky and Michigan State as his primary choices.

By the autumn of 2012, the Illinois class of 2014 was regarded as one of the strongest in state history, potentially including three McDonald's All-Americans and competing with historic classes that featured nine top-100 players.

On November 30, Alexander tallied 26 points on an efficient 12–14 shooting performance in a defeat to Oak Hill Academy. During the semifinals of the Pontiac Holiday Tournament on December 29, he contributed 21 points, but Curie lost to Simeon despite his efforts. Curie was knocked out in the Public League quarterfinals on February 11 by Morgan Park, which eventually won the state title. Whitney Young was ranked No. 1 in February 2013 and met Curie in a highly anticipated March playoff matchup showcasing Alexander against Okafor—the most significant Illinois center rivalry since 1988. Whitney Young prevailed 62–58 even though Alexander outscored Okafor.

In April 2013, speculation arose that Alexander might team up with Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones at the collegiate level; however, by June he downplayed this scenario despite being a top-five prospect with offers from several schools recruiting those players.

Alexander garnered numerous accolades including Chicago Sun-Times All-CPL first team alongside Parker and Okafor; Associated Press All-State Class 4A first team with Parker, Okafor, Malcolm Hill, and Sterling Brown; and Chicago Tribune All-State first team featuring Parker, Okafor, Jalen Brunson, and Tyler Ulis. Additionally, HighSchoolHardwood.com recognized him as an underclassman All-American along with Okafor and Jones.

Summer and preseason

Alexander joined the Mac Irvin Fire AAU squad alongside Okafor. During the Nike-sponsored Pro-Am summer Chi-League, Alexander, Okafor, and Parker competed on the same roster. His talent attracted LeBron James’ attention at the July LeBron James Skills Academy. He also made an impression at the Under Armour Summa Jam against teams led by Myles Turner and Karl-Anthony Towns. In September 2013, Rivals.com maintained Alexander’s No. 4 national ranking, describing him as "perhaps the most powerful player in the high school ranks."

By September, Alexander intended to make a verbal commitment in December followed by signing his National Letter of Intent in April. Curie High School was set to face Montverde Academy at the Hoophall Classic in January 2014. Kansas emerged as a frontrunner partly due to his girlfriend attending the university and their scheduled game against Duke at Chicago's United Center. Illinois also remained a strong contender—marking the first time since Derrick Rose in 2006 that a top-five prospect seriously considered Illinois late in his senior year—with Alexander demonstrating greater interest than Rose had shown.

After visiting Illinois, his announcement date was moved up to November 15. On October 31, he removed Michigan State from contention, leaving Kansas, Illinois, DePaul, and Memphis as his finalists.

By November 7, Alexander ranked second behind Emmanuel Mudiay on the Mr. Basketball USA preseason tracker, ahead of Okafor and Stanley Johnson. His verbal commitment announcement occurred alongside those of other leading recruits such as Okafor (#1), Jones (#4), and Johnson (#9). Kansas and Illinois were viewed as favorites leading into his decision.

On November 15, Alexander declared his verbal commitment to Kansas basketball live on ESPNU with his parents present. Prior to his senior season’s start, USA Today named him to its exclusive 10-man preseason All-USA team alongside other elite prospects like Stanley Johnson and Emmanuel Mudiay. The Chicago Tribune also listed him among its top five candidates for Illinois Mr. Basketball along with Okafor, Brunson, Ulis, and Keita Bates-Diop.

2013–14 regular season

On December 7, Alexander delivered a standout performance with 22 points, 20 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a 66–62 victory at UIC Pavilion over USA Today Super 25 ranked number 11 Bishop Gorman High School and their top recruit Stephen Zimmerman. Although he narrowly avoided a one-game suspension following two technical fouls on December 1, Alexander began the season strongly. He achieved a triple-double on December 12 against Dunbar High School, tallying 30 points, 24 rebounds, and 15 blocks, an effort that earned him Midwest player of the week recognition from StudentSports.com.

In his senior year, Alexander propelled Curie to triumph over three-time defending champion Simeon to capture the Pontiac Holiday Tournament title, contributing 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 blocks, which secured him the tournament MVP award. This display further enhanced his draft prospects and solidified his position within the top five nationally according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

By early January, Alexander was firmly positioned as a frontrunner for national player of the year honors, holding second place in the Mr. Basketball USA race. On January 10, he led Curie to victory against Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School, featuring Rivals.com’s Class of 2015 tenth-ranked recruit Carlton Bragg. At the January 20 Hoophall Classic, Alexander spearheaded Curie's comeback win over top-ranked Montverde Academy, posting 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks. This performance received acclaim from analysts such as CBS Sports’ Jeff Borzello as one of the nation’s finest.

Basketball journalist Ronnie Flores ranked this game among the five best performances against nationally ranked teams since 2000, alongside notable efforts by Lou Williams, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, and LeBron James. The victory propelled Curie to the number one national ranking by StudentSports.com. Consequently, Alexander ascended to first place in the Mr. Basketball USA midseason tracker, leading seven out of ten ballots by a considerable margin.

2014 postseason

The Chicago Public League playoffs commenced on February 5, culminating in a highly anticipated championship showdown on February 21 between Okafor and Alexander. Curie advanced through decisive wins over Perspectives Charter (71–37) and North Lawndale Charter (75–63), with Alexander posting an impressive stat line of 27 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the latter game. Following that, Curie defeated Simeon 71–64 as Alexander added 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 blocks. In the semifinals against Hyde Park Academy, Curie secured a narrow 58–56 win; Alexander recorded a rare triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 blocks.

The city championship game marked the most eagerly awaited contest since 1998, featuring two McDonald's All-Americans: Alexander and Okafor. On February 20, Alexander led the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker with eight first-place votes. Curie emerged victorious in a grueling quadruple overtime thriller with a final score of 69–66. Alexander contributed significantly with 20 points, between 12 and 14 rebounds, and four blocked shots. Okafor scored 16 points but fouled out late in regulation time. The game attracted substantial media attention including coverage by SportsCenter and attendance by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Nonetheless, one week later Curie was forced to forfeit all victories along with the CPL championship due to academic ineligibility affecting seven players; as a result, the title was vacated.

Okafor and Alexander vied for several local and national player of the year accolades throughout the season. Both their teams were placed in the Marist Class 4A sectional for IHSA playoffs and could have potentially faced each other again if both advanced. Despite forfeiting CPL wins, Curie remained eligible for IHSA competition because of differing eligibility rules.

Curie's campaign concluded on March 4 with an overtime defeat to DuSable High School (88–85). Alexander delivered a strong showing with 25 points, 15 rebounds, and eight blocks despite fouling out late in the game. Notably, key starters Josh and Joseph Stamps were ruled ineligible for IHSA play.

At the April 2 McDonald's All-American Game, Alexander contributed nine points and tied for team-high rebounds with eleven for the East squad. Subsequently, on April 18 at the Jordan Brand Classic, he was named co-MVP alongside Okafor after posting totals of 23 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks.

Awards and honors

Alexander earned a spot on the 10-player Team USA roster for the 17th annual Nike Hoop Summit held on April 12, 2014, at the Moda Center, joining fellow Chicago native Okafor and Kansas-bound Oubre. He was also named to the 24-player lineup for the 37th annual 2014 McDonald's All-American Boys Game on April 2 at the United Center, alongside Ulis, Okafor, and Oubre. The Chicago Sun-Times honored him as a first team All-City selection, sharing this distinction with teammates White and Okafor. On February 18, Alexander was announced as one of three finalists for the prestigious Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award, competing with Okafor and Stanley Johnson.

On March 7, Alexander secured both the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year and Naismith Player of the Year accolades. He was chosen to participate in the April 18, 2014 Jordan Brand Classic with Ulis, Okafor, and Oubre. Furthermore, he received Parade All-American status and was named to the Associated Press Class 4A first team All-state roster alongside Okafor, Brunson, Ulis, and Sean O'Mara. Despite finishing second to Okafor in the Illinois Mr. Basketball voting by a tally of 492–402, Alexander was selected for the USA Today first team All-USA Boys Basketball Team with Okafor, Oubre, Mudiay, and Stanley Johnson.

On April 13, MaxPreps recognized him as a first team All-American, and shortly after, on April 16, he earned another national player of the year honor as Mr. Basketball USA.

College career

Following a highly publicized college commitment event, Alexander embarked on his collegiate journey being named the Big 12 Conference Preseason Co-Freshman of the Year alongside Myles Turner, as determined by votes from conference head coaches. ESPN placed him at number 27 in its preseason top 100 players list. He garnered preseason All-American honors from USA Today (third team) and received an honorable mention from NBCSports.com. Additionally, Alexander was listed among the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 candidates, appeared on the Wayman Tisdale Award watch list, and was included in the early December Naismith Award top 50 watch list.

Alexander began his freshman season coming off the bench. On November 24, he tallied 10 points against Rider and followed that performance with 16 points during the Orlando Classic semifinals versus Tennessee on November 28. In the championship game against #20 Michigan State on November 30, he contributed four blocks. On December 5 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge facing Florida, Alexander recorded his first collegiate double-double with a team-leading 10 rebounds and 12 points. Although he was anticipated to start against Lafayette on December 20, he did not appear in the starting lineup but earned his first start two days later against Temple.

On January 19 against #19 Oklahoma, Alexander achieved a career-best performance with 13 rebounds and 13 points in only 23 minutes of play—an individual season high for Kansas. He received Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors on January 26. His second start came on February 10 against Texas Tech where he posted 10 points, five rebounds, and four blocks. However, on February 28 he was sidelined due to an undisclosed NCAA investigation conducted as a precaution; he had not played since February 23 amid inquiries concerning pre-NBA draft loan arrangements involving his mother.

Portland Trail Blazers (2015–2016)

On April 7, amid an NCAA eligibility dispute that sidelined him for the last eight games, Alexander declared for the 2015 NBA draft. On May 31, during a draft workout with the Los Angeles Lakers, he sustained an injury to his right knee. Going undrafted, he became the second highly ranked college prospect to not be selected, following Scotty Hopson. Alexander then joined the Brooklyn Nets for the 2015 NBA Summer League, where he averaged 6.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks over 22 minutes per game. On July 24, 2015, he inked a two-year deal worth $1.4 million with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Due to his knee injury, Alexander’s debut was postponed, causing him to miss the preseason and initially rank behind players such as Meyers Leonard and Mason Plumlee on the depth chart. Despite minor cartilage complications, he was activated on November 8 and recorded 4 points and 4 rebounds in 17 minutes during a November 15 matchup against the Charlotte Hornets.

On March 10, 2016, Alexander was assigned to the Trail Blazers’ D-League team, the Santa Cruz Warriors, before being recalled on March 20. To clear salary cap space for Festus Ezeli, he was waived on July 7, 2016. After clearing waivers, Alexander rejoined Portland’s roster for the NBA Summer League.

Erie BayHawks (2016–2017)

Alexander signed with the Orlando Magic on September 8, 2016, but was released on October 16 following two preseason appearances. Subsequently, on October 29, he joined the Erie BayHawks, Orlando’s NBA Development League affiliate. Across 22 games, he averaged 11.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in approximately 24.5 minutes per contest.

Long Island Nets (2017)

On January 31, 2017, Alexander was traded to the Long Island Nets in exchange for a third-round draft pick in 2017. He secured a guaranteed ten-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets on April 2 but was waived two days later without making an appearance. This contract granted him one year of NBA service credit, elevating him to a two-year veteran status eligible for pension and minimum salary benefits.

Wisconsin Herd (2017–2018)

Alexander signed a non-guaranteed one-year contract with the New Orleans Pelicans on September 24 but was waived by October 14. On October 20, his returning player rights were acquired by the Wisconsin Herd from Long Island. Shortly before the season opener on November 2, Alexander received a five-game suspension due to a violation of the league’s Anti-Drug Program.

ASVEL Basket (2018)

On March 24, 2018, Alexander signed with ASVEL Basket.

Le Mans Sarthe (2019–2020)

Alexander took part in the Los Angeles Clippers's 2019 NBA Summer League roster before signing with Le Mans Sarthe of France’s LNB Pro A league on July 30, 2019.

Busan KT Sonicboom (2020–2021)

On November 24, 2020, Alexander joined Busan KT Sonicboom in the Korean Basketball League, replacing former player Marcus Derrickson.

Daegu KOGAS Pegasus (2021–2022)

Alexander signed with Daegu KOGAS Pegasus of the Korean Basketball League on July 14, 2021. Beginning January 20, 2022, he was temporarily replaced by D. J. White for two weeks before being permanently substituted for the remainder of the season starting February 1.

Sagesse Club (2022–2023)

For the 2022–23 season, Alexander became a member of Sagesse Club competing in the Lebanese Basketball League.

In an away match facing Antranik Youth Association, Alexander shattered one of the two fixed backboards, resulting in a suspension lasting approximately one hour. This marked the second backboard break at Antranik within a month, with both incidents involving players from Sagesse.

Beirut Club (2023–2024)

Alexander signed with Beirut Club of the Lebanese Basketball League in October 2023.

Guangxi Rhinos (2024)

In June 2024, Alexander inked a deal with the Guangxi Rhinos of the National Basketball League. Across 10 games, he posted averages of 10.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while playing 20.5 minutes per contest.

Al-Ahli (2024)

On August 10, 2024, Alexander joined Al-Ahli, competing in the Bahraini Basketball League.

Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters (2024–2025)

Alexander signed with the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters of the Korean Basketball League on December 19, 2024, taking over from Michael Young. His tenure ended when Johnny O'Bryant III replaced him on January 17, 2025.

Guaiqueríes de Margarita (2025)

On March 2, 2025, Alexander committed to Guaiqueríes de Margarita competing in the Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto (SPB).

National team career

Alexander represented Team USA at the inaugural 2013 FIBA Americas 3x3 U18 Championship, contributing to their gold medal victory. Later that year, during the September 2013 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Championship held in Jakarta, Team USA finished ninth with a 7–1 record but was eliminated in the round of 16.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Portland | 8 || 0 || 4.5 || .500 || .000 || .000 || .8 || .0 || .1 || .3 || 1.3 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 8 || 0 || 4.5 || .500 || .000 || .000 || .8 || .0 || .1 || .3 || 1.3

Personal life

Alexander's father, Clifton Terry, who stands 6 ft 7 in tall, played basketball at Robeson High School and Kennedy–King College before declaring for the 2001 NBA draft. His professional journey included time in the NBA Development League. Due to limited access to safe basketball courts in Chicago's West Side Brian Piccolo community, Alexander started playing basketball later than typical.