Kings of the court
The Oklahoman has selected its Little All-City boys basketball squad and Heritage Hall freshman Trey Alexander is the Little All-City Player of the Year.
Heritage Hall coach Chris Hamilton only had to get onto his freshman once.
It was halftime of the state championship game, Heritage Hall was down six to the undefeated and defending champion Kingfisher Yellowjackets.
Heritage Hall’s leading scorer, freshman guard Trey Alexander, had been held to just three points.
“I could tell he was down a little bit,” Hamilton said. “I looked and him and said, ‘If you are open, you better shoot it.’
"Doesn't matter that he's a freshman, that's just the kind of player we know he is."
The second half of the Class 4A championship game was an explosion by Alexander as he let it fly from 3-point range (going 4-of-6 from deep) and consistently used his long stride to find his way to the basket. On one possession, Alexander caught a pass from point guard Jon Matthews about 30-feet from the basket without a man in front of him.
He didn't hesitate, draining the 3-pointer right in front of his own bench and Coach Hamilton.
Alexander scored 24 points in the second half, including 13 in the fourth quarter to give Heritage Hall the win and cement his name in Big House history.
"In the moment, it was like just any other game," Alexander said. "But after it was over and all the cameras were coming over to me and talking to me, it felt crazy. It was just a dream come true."
Hamilton said he thinks it takes a special kind of freshman to be able to do what Alexander did. For his freshman season, Alexander has been named The
Oklahoman's Little All-City Player of the Year.
"To be able to shoulder that and all the expectations is remarkable," Hamilton said. "He came in and earned the trust of older teammates and really proved himself through hard work and dedication. I think he's the best freshman in the country."
Alexander's recruiting profile might back that up as well. Despite being only 14, Alexander already has an scholarship offer from Oklahoma State and is gaining interest from some of the best basketball schools around the country.
"I wouldn’t have imagined getting an offer this year as a freshman, I never expected it to come so early," Alexander said. "Getting my first offer from OSU and then Coach Boynton staying on me. It's amazing."
The dream still hasn't ended for Alexander. People are still approaching the 14-year-old to ask him about his day at state.
He said he tries to take it all in stride. He doesn't want to get a big head, but it's still a moment for him that he still hasn't quite processed.
"It hits me a lot actually," Alexander said. "Sometimes I just think back on it and wish I could redo those moments to soak them in.
"Coach told me early on and I knew that I was going to have to help carry my team to get where we wanted to go.It felt great to help deliver."