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Tennessee basketball: Remembering all 4 Vols seniors by their production

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 22: Yves Pons #35 of the Tennessee Volunteers, Brad Woodson #12 of the Tennessee Volunteers, and Kyle Alexander #11 of the Tennessee Volunteers walk off the court after their game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Thompson-Boling Arena on December 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 83-64. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 22: Yves Pons #35 of the Tennessee Volunteers, Brad Woodson #12 of the Tennessee Volunteers, and Kyle Alexander #11 of the Tennessee Volunteers walk off the court after their game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Thompson-Boling Arena on December 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 83-64. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images /

And now we’re to the main guys. Kyle Alexander was Rick Barnes’s third commitment after taking over as Tennessee basketball’s head coach, behind Ray Kosongo and Lamonte Turner. But Turner is currently a redshirt junior, and Kosongo is no longer with the program.

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That makes Alexander the first prospect Barnes targeted, recruited, and then developed all the way through to his senior season with the Vols. By the way, the success of that development process has been impossible to ignore.

Alexander logged just over 12 minutes and right at 14 minutes a game in his first two years on Rocky Top, averaging 1.7 points and 3.3 points respectively during that time while playing behind Robert Hubbs III, Armani Moore and even Derek Reese and Lew Evans. But he showed his value outside of scoring with over 3 rebounds and right at 4 rebounds a game those first two years.

Finally, Alexander got to become the full time starter in 2016, and he showed exactly what he good do. His breakout game was really the breakout game that showed the Vols had arrived under Rick Barnes, against the Purdue Boilermakers.

Against Isaac Haas down low, Alexander won the battle with 13 points and 10 rebounds, helping his team to a 78-75 overtime victory. Beating a ranked team at a neutral court was due to him, and it was what the Vols needed to finally take that next step under Barnes. A week later, they entered the top 25, and they haven’t left since.

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Now, Alexander is a block machine, a major threat on offense and the hustle player down low. Tennessee basketball lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament due to his injury last year. This year, he’s averaged 7.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and nearly 2 blocks a game, and he undoubtedly wants to get back to the tournament to make amends.

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