Portal:Chicago/Selected biography/172

Cliff Alexander is an American basketball player who has completed his senior season for Curie High School during the 2013–14 season. He is ranked among the top 5 in the national class of 2014 by Rivals.com, Scout.com and ESPN. He has given a verbal commitment to the University of Kansas and plans to play for the Jayhawks during their 2014–15 season. He did not play organized basketball until eighth grade, but by late in his freshman season he became a notable contributor to his high school's varsity team. He was ranked among the top 20 prospects in the national class of 2014 prior to his sophomore season. As a junior, he moved into the top 10 of the national class and was recognized as an All-American. By the beginning of his senior season, he was considered to be a top 5 player by most talent evaluators and his stock was still on the rise. Following a Martin Luther King Jr. Day performance during his senior year against the number one team in the country, many experts consider him to be the best player in the national class of 2014. In 2013, he represented USA Basketball in international play. Several talent scouts praise his powerful game. As a high schooler, Alexander felt he was most often compared to Amar'e Stoudemire. Alexander was heavily recruited by many top Division I basetball programs and his recruitment was widely-followed. He earned the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award. He has been selected to play in the 2014 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, 2014 Jordan Brand Classic and for the 10-man Team USA at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit. Alexander led Curie to the 2014 Chicago Public High School League city championship in a quadruple overtime game against Jahlil Okafor that was the lead story on SportsCenter. The championship was later forfeited.