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"This should come as no surprise to anybody," KU coach Bill Self said of Alexander in a statement released by KU. "Cliff had a very interesting and educational year."
Alexander joins fellow Jayhawk freshman Kelly Oubre in declaring for the NBA draft.
In his statement released by KU, Alexander said, “I talked this over with my mom and my dad and we decided the timing was right for me to enter the NBA Draft. Kansas has been a great experience. I enjoyed being on campus. When I came in I didn’t really know much (about playing in college). I was undersized and not strong enough to bang with other guys. As the year went on, I got settled and comfortable with the system. I got stronger in the weight room and competed harder.”
Alexander may not have had much of a choice, sitting out KU's last eight games as the NCAA looked into eligibility concerns. Despite his limited playing time, Cliff still was tied for the team lead in blocks with 37 and led KU in field goal percentage (0.566). The issue with the NCAA remains unresolved.
He is currently projected as the first pick of the second round by DraftExpress.com. Over at NBADraft.net, he is projected as the fifth pick in the second round.