Basketball a family affair for Heritage Hall's Alexander
Basketball is in Trey Alexander's blood.
It has been from the moment he was born. He is the son of a basketball player. The grandson and nephew, too.
Alexander didn't have a choice about his hoops background. Not that he minds.
It has helped the junior at Heritage Hall become one one of the nation's top prospects in the 2021 class.
“He just has all of the tools,”
said Mount St. Mary coach Brandon Jackson, who regularly trains with Alexander. “And all of it comes from his family.”
Alexander's rise to the top comes from his family having a successful basketball tradition, not only in the high school ranks but also professionally. Although his father, uncles and grandfather all excelled in one aspect of the game, Alexander has managed to become strong in all, thanks to years of training and time spent in the gym.
Alexander's grandfather, Steven Sr., won a state title at John Marshall in the 1970s. His father, Steven Jr., won two state titles at Midwest City, the first in 1998, second in 2000. His uncle De'Angelo won at Midwest City in 2000 and 2001. Another uncle, Xavier, won with the Bombers in 2007.
Trey also counts Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley Jr. as a cousin on his mother's side.
Trey has already enjoyed some of the same successes as the previous generations.
He won a Class 4A state title as a freshman in 2018, and last season, he and the Chargers were runners- up. Heritage Hall is again one of the top teams in Class 4A, and there's a chance it could have a third consecutive matchup with Kingfisher in the state finals.
For the Chargers to clinch another crown, Trey will carry a substantial load.
At 6- foot- 5, 175 pounds, Trey is a fantastic scorer, a tenacious rebounder and stingy defender. He has all of the tools, which is why the likes of Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, among many others, have offered Trey scholarships to play college basketball.
He has his family to thank for his diverse skill set.
“I'm always a text away from my uncles or a room away from my dad's room to have a conversation about basketball that can get me better,” Trey said. “I always try to soak in everything I can.”
His father preached defense, giving Trey an aggressive mentality on that end. Uncle Xavier worked with Trey on different ways to drive to the basket. Uncle De'Angelo was adamant about how many shots Trey needed to shoot each day to find a rhythm and perfect his jumper.
Trey's family taught him more than the fundamentals. They instilled his passion.
Trey watched his father and uncles play professionally, and as intense as those games were, the competition between the Alexanders was every bit as fierce.
Trey would go watch his uncles play in a recreational league while also challenging this uncles to pick-up games or shooting challenges. Trey said the games would get pretty heated, but it was all in good fun.
“Those are the type of memories I'll never forget for the rest of my life,” Trey said.
Now Trey is making more memories. His story is far from over.
The bulk of the chapters of his basketball career has yet to be written. His game continues to evolve while more and more college coaches notice his diverse skills. Although he's going for more state championships, soon he will be trying to win national titles in college. He's such a hot commodity that his final high school season may well be played in prep school.
The NBA is even a possibility after that.
But none of it would be possible without his family and their basketball ties. Trey knows his foundation set him up for success. After all, he did have a basketball waiting for him in his crib when he got home from the hospital.
“My family always tells me you can't take anything the game gives you for granted,” Trey said. “I go into games knowing, if I do end up getting hurt, it might be my last game. They always tell me to go into every game and leave everything out on the court. That really touches me.”