Cliff Alexander was the gem of Kansas' highly touted recruiting class, but coach Bill Self slowly has brought along the talented yet raw freshman as he adapts to the college game.
That strategy is beginning to pay off.
The 11th-ranked Jayhawks look to keep rolling as they face No. 20 Michigan State in the championship game of the Orlando Classic on Sunday.
Self warned that one of the nation's most coveted recruits would need an adjustment period, and he's limited the 6-foot-8 forward's minutes to start the season.
Alexander has come off the bench in each game for Kansas (4-1), averaging 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in 17 minutes. He had his best showing in Friday's semifinal, hitting 5 of 6 from the field and scoring 16 points in 20 minutes of an 82-67 win over Tennessee.
The Jayhawks have won three in a row since being routed 72-40 by No. 1 Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Nov. 18, when Alexander shot 2 of 7 from the floor and 4 of 8 from the free-throw line for eight points.
"Just getting more comfortable," Alexander said. "Doing what coach is telling me to do."
Alexander had a team-high four of the Jayhawks' 18 offensive rebounds Friday as they won the overall board battle 44-22.
"He is doing a good job of getting on the offensive glass, because he is smart enough to know that if he gets the rebound on offense, he can actually shoot it," Self said.
"He's starting to get it."
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is familiar with Alexander's talents, having recruited him throughout his high school career in Chicago. His Spartans (5-1) have won four straight since falling to No. 4 Duke in the Champions Classic, but Izzo hasn't been very impressed during the winning streak.
Turnovers have been an issue, as Michigan State is averaging 14.2 after committing a season-worst 16 in Friday's 79-68 semifinal win over Marquette. It also was outrebounded for the first time this season, 29-28.
"If we do the same things, we'll get blown out (by Kansas)," Izzo said. "If we get blown out then we got to go back home and regroup. But on the other side of it, if we do the things we can do, I think we got just a good a chance of winning (the tournament) as anybody else."
Denzel Valentine scored a career-high 25 points - including six 3-pointers - while Travis Trice had 19, six rebounds and seven assists. Marvin Clark Jr. scored 10 in his third straight start in place of Branden Dawson, who had five points in 28 minutes off the bench after missing the previous two games with the flu.
Izzo knows the Spartans will have their hands full against a big Kansas front line featuring Alexander, 6-10 Landen Lucas and 6-8 Perry Ellis, who had 24 points and 13 rebounds in the semifinals.
"We have some guys that are soft, and that is a four-letter word at Michigan State - and not a good one," Izzo said. "We sure ain't blue collar, so we're going to see if can get back to blue collar."
Izzo is 6-4 in 10 head-to-head matchups between these coaches, including Self's stops at Tulsa and Illinois. Michigan State has won the last three of the four meetings since Self has been at Kansas, including a 67-64 victory in the 2012 Champions Classic.
