Alabama Mr. Basketball Becomes First Prep Signee
Apr 21, 2026 | Men's Basketball
The 6-foot-2 point guard led Oxford High School to Class 6A State Championship.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – First-year head coach Casey Alexander inked his first high school recruit on Tuesday afternoon (April 21) with the addition of prep standout Jaylen Alexander (Oxford, Ala./Oxford) to the 2026-27 men's basketball roster.
A 6-foot-2, 185-pound point guard from Oxford, Ala., Alexander was the unanimous Alabama High School Player of the Year in 2026 en route to leading Oxford High School to a 30-4 record and the Class 6A State Championship with a 68-44 win over Cullman. He was selected as the Class 6A State Tournament MVP after posting a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds to go with 7 assists in the semifinal win over Saraland on March 4 before adding 11 points, 8 assists and 5 steals in the state championship game vs. Cullman on March 7.
Alexander was selected as the 2026 Alabama Mr. Basketball by both the Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA) and MaxPreps, while he was the state's Gatorade Player of the Year, which is awarded based on both athletic and academic achievement. A member of the National Honor Society, he has maintained a 3.78 GPA while at Oxford in addition to volunteering for various groups, including Special Olympics and as a youth basketball counselor.
"Jaylen's just a special, special player," Oxford head coach Joel Van Meter told the ASWA before the Mr. Basketball banquet. "He has an unbelievable IQ for the game. He sees things before they happen. He has an unbelievable feel for what the next play is going to be."
The two-time ASWA All-State selection averaged 19 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a senior as he was named the 2026 Class 6A Player of the Year as well as the Birmingham News / AL.com Player of the Year. He also headlined the ASWA Super All-State team, which recognizes the five best players in the state regardless of classification.
Alexander will leave Oxford High School as the career leader in points (2,444) and assists (641) to go with 701 rebounds and 361 steals.
Alexander is rated as the No. 1 point guard in the state of Alabama by multiple recruiting services, while he is the No. 182 prospect nationally and the No. 22 point guard in the country by 247Sports. He is also ranked among the top-30 point guards nationally by On3/Rivals.
Alexander played with EYBL's Team Thad on the AAU circuit.
Alexander is the fourth player to join the Wildcats this spring, joining portal signees 7-foot-1, 255-pound center JT Rock (Sioux Falls, S.D./Lincoln/Iowa State/New Mexico), 6-foot-7, 205-pound forward Isaiah Abraham (Gainesville, Va./Paul VI/UConn/Georgetown) and 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard Jaden Schutt (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville Christian/Duke/Virginia Tech).
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X, Instagram and Facebook.
A 6-foot-2, 185-pound point guard from Oxford, Ala., Alexander was the unanimous Alabama High School Player of the Year in 2026 en route to leading Oxford High School to a 30-4 record and the Class 6A State Championship with a 68-44 win over Cullman. He was selected as the Class 6A State Tournament MVP after posting a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds to go with 7 assists in the semifinal win over Saraland on March 4 before adding 11 points, 8 assists and 5 steals in the state championship game vs. Cullman on March 7.
Alexander was selected as the 2026 Alabama Mr. Basketball by both the Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA) and MaxPreps, while he was the state's Gatorade Player of the Year, which is awarded based on both athletic and academic achievement. A member of the National Honor Society, he has maintained a 3.78 GPA while at Oxford in addition to volunteering for various groups, including Special Olympics and as a youth basketball counselor.
"Jaylen's just a special, special player," Oxford head coach Joel Van Meter told the ASWA before the Mr. Basketball banquet. "He has an unbelievable IQ for the game. He sees things before they happen. He has an unbelievable feel for what the next play is going to be."
The two-time ASWA All-State selection averaged 19 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a senior as he was named the 2026 Class 6A Player of the Year as well as the Birmingham News / AL.com Player of the Year. He also headlined the ASWA Super All-State team, which recognizes the five best players in the state regardless of classification.
Alexander will leave Oxford High School as the career leader in points (2,444) and assists (641) to go with 701 rebounds and 361 steals.
Alexander is rated as the No. 1 point guard in the state of Alabama by multiple recruiting services, while he is the No. 182 prospect nationally and the No. 22 point guard in the country by 247Sports. He is also ranked among the top-30 point guards nationally by On3/Rivals.
Alexander played with EYBL's Team Thad on the AAU circuit.
Alexander is the fourth player to join the Wildcats this spring, joining portal signees 7-foot-1, 255-pound center JT Rock (Sioux Falls, S.D./Lincoln/Iowa State/New Mexico), 6-foot-7, 205-pound forward Isaiah Abraham (Gainesville, Va./Paul VI/UConn/Georgetown) and 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard Jaden Schutt (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville Christian/Duke/Virginia Tech).
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X, Instagram and Facebook.
K-State Men's Basketball | New Staff Arrivals Part II
Tuesday, April 07
K-State Men's Basketball | New Staff Arrivals
Thursday, March 26
K-State Men's Basketball | Head Coach Casey Alexander Baseball Game TV Interview
Saturday, March 21
K-State Men's Basketball | Head Coach Casey Alexander Baseball Game Radio Interview
Saturday, March 21
