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Let’s just be honest. The Tennessee Volunteers don’t send a ton of talent to the NBA. They’ve yet to really get into the one-and-done realm of recruiting, but they do land an NBA caliber player every few years or so. On this roster, that player might just turn out to by junior forward Kyle Alexander.
The 6-11, 220 pound big man appeared in a 2019 NBA mock draft from ESPN.com earlier this week. Draft expert Jonathan Givony projected Alexander to land 29th overall to the Houston Rockets.
Alexander is averaging just 5.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game this year. His season has been filled with peaks and valleys to this point. He’s yet to really settle into a consistent groove, but he’s flashed his potential more than a few times. Tennessee is just a different team when Alexander is playing at a high level.
He’s been the target of Rick Barnes’ criticism on a couple of different occasions, most recently after the Alabama game.
Still yet, you can’t teach the size and length that Alexander possesses. With another offseason in the weight room and maybe the development of a true mid-range game, Alexander may start getting some legitimate NBA hype over the next several months.