Cliffton Nirgel Alexander[1] (born November 16, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for Al-Ahli Club of the Bahraini Basketball League. He completed his freshman season at the University of Kansas for the Jayhawks' on their 2014–15 team. He declared himself eligible for the 2015 NBA draft but was undrafted. He played one season for the Portland Trail Blazers and earned a second year of NBA service with the Brooklyn Nets.
He played in high school at Curie High School in Chicago where he won Naismith and Mr. Basketball USA recognition as national player of the year. He did not play organized basketball until eighth grade, but by late in his freshman season he became a notable contributor to his high school's varsity team. He was ranked among the top 20 prospects in the national class of 2014 prior to his sophomore season. As a junior, he moved into the top 10 of the national class and was recognized as an All-American. By the beginning of his senior season, he was considered to be a top 5 player by most talent evaluators and his stock was still on the rise. Following a Martin Luther King Day performance during his senior year against the number one team in the country, many experts considered him to be the best player in the national class of 2014.
In 2013, he represented USA Basketball in international play. Several talent scouts praised his powerful game. As a high schooler, Alexander felt he was most often compared to Amar'e Stoudemire. He was also contrasted with crosstown rival Jahlil Okafor, especially as a senior when they vied for national attention. Alexander was heavily recruited by many top Division I basketball programs and his recruitment was widely followed. He played in the 2014 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, 2014 Jordan Brand Classic and the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit, earning co-MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic. Alexander led Curie to the 2014 Chicago Public High School League city championship in a quadruple-overtime game against Okafor that was the lead story on SportsCenter. The championship was later forfeited. As a freshman with Kansas, he did not play in the latter part of the season after the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) launched an investigation into his eligibility.