Prep basketball star Daniel Alexander jokes that he lives in a house divided.
His mother attended the University of Texas and his dad has season tickets to Longhorn football games. Alexander, who lives close to Austin in Dripping Springs, will soon call Texas A&M home.
The 6-foot-8 senior-to-be wing/forward verbally committed to the Aggies last month and was at A&M checking out his future digs over the past two days at Aggie coach Mark Turgeon's elite camp.
"In a way, I do," Alexander said of starting to feel at home already. "I have to get used to the facilities a little bit. It's so big I find myself getting lost once in a while, but the coaches are great and I pretty much think of them as family at this point."
Alexander had a long day Monday, working out at the camp and then playing some pickup games.
"[Monday] was pretty grueling so I just kind of tried to keep my feet under me," Alexander said. "Last night after the actual camp we played five or six high-intensity games with the current players and some NBA players. The game was a lot faster and a lot more physical and I enjoyed it."
Alexander is ranked 32nd in Rivals.com's top 150 and is the No. 3 player out of Texas. He is listed as the nation's No. 10 power forward. With his ability to run the court and with his quick release on a jump shot that ranges past the 3-point line, though, he could easily play the wing.
"I'm definitely working on strength and quickness, that's definitely the next step for me as a player toward being good or even great at the next level," Alexander said. "Every time I come to a camp like this it's kind of a reassurance that I need to not be lazy or take any breaks, that I still have to work hard. Just because I dominated my high school level doesn't mean I'm going to come in here and have a cakewalk."
As a junior, Alexander averaged 19 points and nine rebounds for Dripping Springs, which plays in District 25-4A.
Alexander -- who was also being looked at by Big 12 schools Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, along with Arizona -- gave plenty of reasons as to why he's selected Texas A&M, which has won at least one NCAA Tournament game in each of the last four years.
"The coaching staff has been there since the beginning. They were the first school to offer me [a scholarship] and to actually show interest," Alexander said. "The playing style, distance from home, the facilities are great, it just seems like an all-around good situation."
*
NOTES -- Alexander has been invited to the Nike Vince Carter Camp for the Top 20 wings in the country, and to Nike's LeBron James Camp in July.
Notice about comments:
TheEagle.com is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. TheEagle.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not theeagle.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.
Full terms and conditions can be read here.
(Requires free registration.)
Posted by: On: 6/21/2009
Comment Title:
r u a coworker of millers in the burger joint. you seem to know a lot about his activities and the schedule and others who work there. your posts are of the same caliber as well.
Posted by: On: 6/13/2009
Comment Title: I would like to value size my drink Miller58
Miller, do you actually believe the junk you post? Man you need to buy a clue. Stop talking out of your _ss! We know you are not an Ag, your shift manager is on to your stunts. He just posted a new policy in your workplace. No texting while you are manning the frying station.
Posted by: Flowbee58 On: 6/11/2009
Comment Title: Pinocchio58 & Toadie
First of all, there is a reason he is called Pinocchio58, he is a liar, as been proven by his own words, especially pretending to be TAMU. And now he has his deep fryer assistant posting for him in between batches of fries. But I know the identity of his little toady. His name is Dave Yeast, who hasn't exactly risen to the top of his profession, or it could be his momma covering for him. Boys, pay attention to the timer and don't overcook. If the dayshift manager finds out about this, you'll be back on the late night shift and cleaning the grease trap. Plenty of people need jobs now and you can rest on your laurels.
Posted by: Please GO Away! On: 6/10/2009
Comment Title: If I want you to leave bad enough wil you?
If all it takes is wanting it bad enough, you would have been gone a long time ago...To the delight of many!
Posted by: miller.58.longhorn On: 6/10/2009
Comment Title: A&M"S POOR COACHING AND EVEN WORSE BASKETBALL RECRUITING
My personal opinions:_____Longhorns are playing in the CWS and you guys are talking about basketball! Look, Turgeon is a good coach, with facilities that are truly unmatched (for now) in the Big 12 or elsewhere and has great fan support....so he will win plenty of recruits and win plenty of games too. Now go get your TV tuned to watch THE Big 12 baseball team win another CWS!
Posted by: miller58 On: 6/10/2009
Comment Title: RE: CinterL - Dee
My personal opinions:_____Mike Sherman proved for the 13th time in recent weeks, that he can't even recruit the leftovers from tu?_____San Antonio Cornerback John Jay 5-10 175 4.4, turned down Mike sherman's offer to commit to tcu?_____Poor coaching and worse recruiting will always sink to the bottom, and that's where we are ranked now!_____Dee - CinterL, I want A&M to compete for the Big 12 and mnc every year in football, just like sadly only tu and ou do now; and in basketball, A&M must compete for the final four every year, just like Kansas does now!_____Do you realise we are so bad in these two sports, that since we joined the Big 12, A&M has not once won the mnc or ncaa, or not even played in the mnc or final four games!_____We could though, if we hadn't had such poor coaching, and worse recruiting?____WE have everything except great coaching, and the 12 Man will, strong enough to win now?_____ Learn to be winning Aggies, and don't accept losing in anything you do,when you have the power to change it, IF YOU ONLY WANT TO BAD ENOUGH ? _____miller58
Posted by: Pablo On: 6/10/2009
Comment Title: More chatter
There is a reason why Coaches like Turgeon avoid blog chatter when you read all the nonsense, so I assume Miller's rant is to get under our skin, and let's just say he's a 5* pain in the A... BTW, miller since your're reading this.. I like 'Turg think he can get us to the promise land with kids like Alexander - Gig 'Em!
Posted by: On: 6/10/2009
Comment Title: dee68
I honestly don't believe miller's an aggie - no one can hate everyone & everything about the athletic department & be from A&M. Aggies have a common bond - a deep love for Aggieland & all it represents & stands for. Loyalty is but a small part of that. Miller is a friday night demolition driver from waco & should be ignored.
Posted by: miller58 On: 6/10/2009
Comment Title: TURGEON GETS NEW BASKETBALL COMMIT:
My personal opinions:_____#85 ranked 4* C Tobi Oyedji 6-8 190 committed to Mark Turgeon reucing his bare cupboard to 4 players!_____miller58
Posted by: Flowbee58 On: 6/10/2009
Comment Title: Assistant Pinocchio58
It was only a matter of time before Pinocchio's assistant fryer showed up. early afternoon shift is slow before dinner. Darn Sooners !!
Posted by: miller.58.longhorn On: 6/10/2009
Comment Title: A&M"S POOR COACHING AND EVEN WORSE BASKETBALL RECRUITING
My personal opinion:____Horns and the darn Sooners continue to out-recruit A&M and that is all there is to it.
Posted by: Flowbee58 On: 6/10/2009
Comment Title: Well done Pinocchio58
Pinocchio58, Keep up the good work !!! Maybe we'll (not you since you are not an Ag) get a 5* the next time you tell the truth. By the way, you've been burning the fries lately. Try to pay attention while you're trolling.
Posted by: CinterL On: 6/10/2009
Comment Title: Don't talk about Aggie Basketball!!!!!!
Ok here are some FACTS, A&M now has two 4* commits for this current class. Not to mention we are looking very good with other top prospects, such as PG Cory Joseph and Kyre Irving, as well as PF Luke Cothron. All three of those are 5* players too. People can talk about football all they want but when People make up lies that can easily be contradicted, it show how much they really don't know. Oh and even when we “supposedly” get out recruited by our competition, we still finish ahead of some of them because Turgeon is an amazing coach!!! Basketball is here to say people, get ready for something amazing to happen in the near future. Thanks and Gig'em
Posted by: WacoAg On: 6/10/2009
Comment Title: ???
Miller, you really are a glass half empty kinda guy arentcha?
Posted by: miller58 On: 6/10/2009
Comment Title: A&M"S POOR COACHING AND EVEN WORSE BASKETBALL RECRUITING?
My personal opinions:_____A&M must sign a minimum of 3 to 5 difference makers every year to compete for the Big 12 and nationally?_____Simply put, A&M is not competing for 3 years in a row, now!_____Current Big 12 difference maker recruiting is:_____tu 2 five stars_____baylor 1 five star_____ou 1 four star_____kansas 1 four star_____ and A&M 1 four star?_____In the 2008 class, Mark Turgeon signed only 2 difference makers, adding 1 to his bare cupboard?_____In the 2009 class, Turgeon signed only 1 difference maker, adding 2 more to his bare cupboard._____In the current class, Turgeon today, has only 1 difference maker, adding 5 total to his bare cupboard._____Turgeon must pick up those 5 bare cupboard players this year, or A&M needs to get a coach that can?_____miller58