Sporting News names Cliff Alexander as No. 3 center

Sporting News tabbed Cliff Alexander as the No. 3 center in the upcoming 2014-15 season.

Here’s what they had to say:

6-9, 240 pounds
Freshman

If you look up “power forward” in the dictionary, the picture you’ll see might look like Alexander. He has the ideal body and temperament for the position.

So it may surprise you to see Alexander listed here, but with Joel Embiid gone and Perry Ellis still in the picture somebody’s got to play close to the basket for the Jayhawks.

Alexander is not a classic post-up player, but when KU runs its high/low stuff it generally results in the inside guy against a single defender, and Alexander can beat one man. Most any one man, in fact.

Here is the top 10 from Sporting News:

1. Jahlil Okafor, Duke
2. Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin
3. Cliff Alexander, Kansas
4. Georges Niang, Iowa State
5. Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga
6. Dakari Johnson, Kentucky
7. Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky
8. Kaleb Tarczewski, Arizona
9. Cameron Ridley, Texas
10. Josh Scott, Colorado

That’s a lot of long names.

What do you think of Cliff’s position in the top 10?