As Joe Alexander waited anxiously in the green room during the first round of Thursday’s NBA Draft, he undoubtedly took a quiet moment to pause and reflect on the unique journey that brought him there. Alexander’s path to professional basketball does not fit nicely into the prototypical route taken by lottery picks; where the bulk of his peers were playing AAU ball in major metropolitan areas, Alexander spent the majority of his youth living abroad in the Far East learning more about accurate Mandarin conversions than sneaker contracts. It is this unusual, and often solitary, upbringing that Alexander credits for instilling in him his renowned intensity. It is also what makes the West Virginia forward’s story so fascinating.

Alexander was born to Stephen and Allyson Alexander December 26, 1986 in Taiwan. One of five children, Alexander lived abroad for eight years. This saw Alexander spend two of his formative years in Taiwan, as well as five in Beijing and one in Hong Kong. In fact, he and his family lived in Asia until he was 16 years old, attending school in Beijing, Shunyi until 2001. Though he did not begin playing basketball until his mid-teens, Alexander took to the game obsessively: legend has it that in high school he would sleep on a park bench near the closest outdoor basketball court by his home just to be able to play when the sun rose. That borderline compulsive behaviour, learned on streetball courts in China and Taiwan, propelled Alexander to overcome his late start in the game and drive his international basketball odyssey forward. Having a great drive and fierce demeanor does not make Alexander unusual; all great players possess an inner drive and determination that allows them to shine. It is more that Alexander flourished so quickly and in such unorthodox circumstances and surroundings that he is set apart. Well, that, and the fact that it is rumoured that he learned how to play basketball initially by playing Playstation.

The strangeness of Alexander’s odyssey did not end once he returned States-side to his home in Mount Airy, Maryland at the end of high school. He averaged 14.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game at Linganore High, which earned him first-team all-conference honours, but had zero college offers after his senior year. Even local Division-II schools passed on him, making Alexander question whether or not his basketball dreams were over. But he enrolled at Hargrave Military Academy for the 2004-2005 season and was given an opportunity to continue to develop his game. His commitment and dedication shone through at Hargrave, as he showed himself to be unafraid of contact and willing to crash the glass and finish strong around the rim, muscling for rebounds.

His coachability and attitude won him the audience of West Virginia Assistant Coach Jeff Neubauer. Though Neubauer did not intend to give Alexander a scholarship offer, he was won over by the player’s sheer passion and enthusiasm for the game and for realizing his potential. The pose and focus he showed won him a scholarship, not his hustle or refined turn-around jumper.

Having made it to Divison-I just a few short years after learning the game was a remarkable feat for the passport-pivoting and airport weary teen, and no one would have faulted him if he did not succeed at the next level. It certainly appeared as though his time with the Mountaineers wouldn’t amount to much, as his best game as a freshman saw him score a mere five points. Yet he remained sure that hard work would eventually be rewarded and thus spent the summer training upwards of three hours a day, even sleeping on the couch in the locker room on occasion. This allowed the international oddity to become a starter in his sophomore year and gain national attention after posting a then-career-high of 23 points early in the season against DePaul. Ultimately his play declined after his tepid start and he totaled only 18 points during West Virginia’s march to the NIT Tournament Championship. While his play dropped late in the year, Alexander still managed to total 10.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg for the season. It seemed that the young journeyman had found his place in Morgantown after all.

No one could have predicted what was next for Alexander. At the request of new head coach Bob Huggins, he put on 20 pounds of muscle during the off-season. His new conditioning and strength was meant to prevent him from breaking down as he had at the end of the previous year, and it certainly paid off in spades for the Mountaineers. Alexander excelled on the glass, using his amazing leaping ability, long wingspan and tenacity to out-hustle and out-work Big East opponents. From his 29 and ten against St. John’s at the end of the regular season to his 34 and seven against UConn in the Big East Tournament, he contributed a season full of statement games that declared him as the conference’s best player. For his efforts (16.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg) he was named to the first-team All-Big East team, only the fifth Mountaineer to receive the honour.

Alexander and the Mountaineers entered the NCAA Tournament and drew the Arizona Wildcats in the first round. Alexander scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds in West Virginia’s win, meaning he would face the Duke Blue Devils in the second round. When he was a child overseas, Duke was the only college basketball team Alexander had heard of whatsoever. If he was nervous or intimidated by the likes of coach Mike Krzyzewski or the Devil’s number two ranking, he certainly did not show it, scoring 22 and grabing 11 boards in a 73-67 upset shocker. The kid that had grown up playing pickup games in China, that had gone unrecruited out of highschool, that played only 36 minutes total for the year as a freshman, took down mighty Duke. The world noticed, and so did the NBA. Suddenly ever scout wanted to know his story and just how he had emerged as a potential lottery pick from out of nowhere. The answer lay in the hard work and commitment he made to the game years earlier, something Alexander can take great pride in.

Though he possesses what is likely the best athleticism in the draft, he needs to improve his outside shooting range and consistency. He will also need to develop better discipline on defense and improved lateral quickness. Also, it is unclear how he will fit in with the newly acquired Milwaukee Buck Richard Jefferson and whether or not he can shift to the power forward spot in the NBA. But those are all things that Scott Skiles and his staff will worry about over the summer. For now at least, they can rest easy knowing they have selected a mature and experienced young professional.

When David Stern called Joe Alexander’s name on Thursday as the eighth pick in the 2008 Draft, he introduced a new chapter to Alexander’s already-interesting life story. When he put on the Milwaukee Bucks’ draft hat, certainly something must have passed through Alexander’s thoughts about how far his odd travels in basketball and beyond have taken him.

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media