For three years, Posh Alexander has been one of the faces of St. John's basketball.
The Brooklyn kid played the game like his next meal, depended on it, welcomed opposing point guards full court, and quickly became a fan favorite for his tireless work and dogged determination.
On Tuesday, he returned as an opponent and one of Butler's amazing leaders, giving the St. John's guard what Johnny's fans have been rooting for him to do against his opponents for years. I'm trying to do it for.
After a slump last winter, Alexander rediscovered his game with the Bulldogs and looks more like the player who was so productive in his first two seasons at Queen's than the player who struggled as a junior. Ta.
“What impresses me most about him is how much he cares about people and his teammates. He's done a great job from day one of helping the freshmen,” Butler coach Thad Matta said of the alumni association. He spoke on Monday ahead of. “Hidden inside him is a desire to win more than anyone I've ever coached. He has dreams and ambitions, but he also loves watching his teammates play well. . That's a great trait he has.”
Shortly after Rick Pitino took over at St. John's (9-4, 1-1), there was a time when it looked like Alexander might stay in Queen's.
Pitino was willing to keep him.
However, in the end both sides agreed that it would be better to go their separate ways.
“I think Posh Inn is a great place. He's starting. All the players who left are playing great,” Pitino said, without going into details about the situation. “It's a great result for everyone involved. We know he's a great basketball player and we're glad he's doing well.”
Pitino flipped a roster that returned only Joel Soriano and Dorissa Traore, bringing in point guard Danis Jenkins from Iona College.
Alexander remained in the Big East and helped Butler get off to a fast start, winning 10 of their first 13 games.
Matta surrounded Alexander with shooters, giving him space rarely given at St. John's.
So far this year, he's averaging 10.7 points, 5.2 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals.
Matta was full of praise for Alexander, calling him a great teammate.
As soon as he arrived, he was helping the young players.
Advisor and former AAU coach Shandu McNeil believes Alexander has grown and has a better understanding of what it takes to win by playing for a coach who believes in him.
“They needed him to be successful,” McNeil said. “That was very important to him.”
He is a hard worker and has coached well.
Matta said one of the big adjustments for Alexander was realizing that defense is more than just stopping his players.
He had to learn to play help defense.
“He's done a great job running our team. That's what I promised him was to teach him how to run a basketball team,” Coach Butler said. “Posh is an emotional kid and can get emotional throughout the game. But if you look, he's gotten a lot better. I got interested in him at half-time a few games ago. 'Cause he was a little bothered by me. He came out and had a great second half.”
It appears to have been an emotional night for Alexander.
St. John's was his home for three years.
But he didn't tell Matta that the match had any special meaning.
He only played with Soriano and Traore, so it's not like the Johnnys have a lot of former teammates.
“I think he's in a good position to be back there and I hope he plays well,” Matta said. “He's never said, 'This means the world to me.' I know it's a battle because he's been to the Big East before. I know he wants to play well, that's the way it is.”
St. John's forward Chris Ledrum (sprained ankle) practiced Monday, but his condition for the game is still uncertain.
He missed Saturday's game between St. John's and Hofstra.
