A friend of mine who’d heard the news about Joe Alexander and was curious about his potential called last night.

“What’s a mock draft you’d take seriously?” he asked, well aware of the oxymoron contained within his question.

“I read HoopsHype.com. DraftExpress.com is good, too,” I replied.

Well, DX puts Joe at No. 21 and H2 doesn’t include him. So he’s not what anyone would call a lock … and again, mock drafts aren’t worth too much, especially the day after a kid declares his intentions.

The consensus seems to be he’s curious to see what’s out there and he’ll be more of a tourist than anything else. I don’t necessarily buy that to be the case — at least the only case. He’s doing this to prove himself. Once he’s in the environment, he’s trying to be the best. And let’s face it, he’s better than some people he’ll be competing against.

The word on Alexander today is not the same as what it’s going to be once the process begins. He could very well rise in the eyes of many and find himself in the middle of the first round — who knows how high he rises? — and things then get interesting because that’s where the money resides. It’s guaranteed money for two years with team options for the next two seasons. Even then, the big money in the NBA comes in the second contract.

He’s obviously listening to Bob Huggins and Huggins is going to be honest. He knows the NBA — 19 of his guys have played in the league — and his opinion will matter. The question that must be asked is where has Alexander set the bar and will he be there this summer of the next?