HSH 1-on-1: Alex Murphy is getting better every day
Words. Jason Jordan
(photo. adidas)
Back in April when the AAU season began, St. Marks School (Southborough, Mass.) forward Alex Murphy‘s strategy was simple: get better every game, every tournament, every day.
“I wanted to be able to notice my improvements,” said Murphy, a junior who is ranked 26th in the HSH National Top 50. “I put in a lot of hard work, and I felt like I should’ve been able to see the results.”
Mission accomplished. Murphy was named to the Elite 24 roster at the end of the summer, after he shined at the adidas Nations camp and several other tournaments and showcases.
We caught up with Murphy to talk about everything from who’s courting him to how having a brother playing at one of the schools recruiting will factor into his decision.
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HighSchoolHoop: I don’t even have to ask, I know this has been a big summer for you.
Alex Murphy: (Laughs) Yeah, I guess you could say that. I did pretty well.
HSH: All things considered, you had one of the most productive summers of anyone on the circuit.
AM: I just went out and tried to get better. That was my goal. I wanted to play harder than I’ve ever played before.
HSH: It all started at the Tournament of Champions in May, right?
AM: Yeah, I scored really well down there and just had an all-around good tournament. I probably averaged around 20 points per game.
HSH: What did you improve on?
AM: I’m a year older and that means I’m more mature. I worked harder and I got stronger physically. I work on all aspects of my game too and I think that’s paid off.
HSH: Let’s talk schools. Who’s on your list?
AM: Florida, Duke, Kansas, Butler, Texas, Villanova, Arizona, Boston College, Michigan, North Carolina and Kentucky. Those are just some that come to my head right now, but there are definitely a lot more. I haven’t said no to anyone.
HSH: Are you looking to narrow that down any time soon?
AM: Hopefully sometime around the end of the summer or in the fall I’ll sit down with my family and trim my list down. I don’t know what I’ll cut it down to.
HSH: You only get five official visits, you know that of course.
AM: Yeah.
HSH: So who will absolutely get visits?
AM: Well, I’m not sure about my officials yet. I’ve taken unofficials to Duke and Florida. I would definitely like to get over to Arizona and Texas and see those schools. I don’t know what I’ll do with the five officials yet though.
HSH: Where do most of these schools see you playing?
AM: Well, I’m not sure. I see myself as just being a player. Just a guy with no real position. I’m just a basketball player. I can play the wing, I can play down low, I can handle the ball if need be … Just a player.
HSH: What’s the biggest factor that will weigh into your decision?
AM: Well, my ultimate goal is to play in the NBA. There are a lot of schools on my list that can help me get there, but I also want to have a great relationship with the head coach. The assistants are recruiting you, but at the end of the day you’re playing for the head coach so it’s important to have a strong relationship with him.
HSH: Your brother was a freshman at Florida this past year, talk about that dynamic and how it factors in to your recruitment.
AM: I’ve heard so many things. Some people say you should definitely play with your brother then some people say we should get away from each other and do our own thing. I spent a year playing with him in high school and that was awesome, but him being at Florida won’t impact my decision at all. Obviously, my family and I have built a relationship with Florida since they were recruiting my brother, but I’m gonna make the best decision for me.
HSH: Of the schools recruiting you, who do you keep in touch with the most?
AM: Well, they can only call once a month, but in terms of me contacting them I’d say Duke, Florida, Arizona and probably Kansas.
HSH: Do you have a timetable for when you want to get this over?
AM: There’s no timetable really. Like I said I want to take a few more visits before I decide. Whenever I feel in my heart that it’s the right decision I’ll go ahead and make my decision.
- Follow Alex on Twitter at @AlexMurphy5
- Email Jason at jasonj@dimemag.com
- Follow High School Hoop on Twitter @HighSchoolHoop
I am obviously very biased but of everyone besides Rivers I want Murphy to be a Blue Devil. I know he does not like comparisons but Duke has had a couple of kids like Murphy who really flourished under Coach K, and not just his etnic skin color either for those who hate too White Duke.
Yo Alex,
Take your time with the decision making man but narrow down your list to your top 3 – 5 universities. Sometimes less is more man.
I can see you developing into a Shane Battier or Grant Hill type NBA player but you can make a name for yourself in NCAA basketball Alex. It would be cool playing with your brother in Florida but you’ve got to choose your own path in life and your brother has to follow his path.
Think about it man.. you could potentially be on a highly ranked Duke team with Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Shabazz Muhammad, Marshall Plumlee, Josh Hairston, Austin Rivers and Andre Dawkins!
What a waste of talent if Alex goes to dook!
First practice, he’ll have to learn how to “FLOP” like the best of them! LOL!!!
nah man. He’ll learn how to work out and take care of his body for professional ball. He’ll learn how to play team defense against full court and half court defense.
Coach K will team him leadership skills as well as playing together with a team full of athletes who will challenge Alex Murphy to take his game to another level.
U. of Arizona is also a great basketball school with a lot of upcoming talent but now that Austin Rivers has eliminated Florida and Kansas is trying to keep up with Kentucky, Alex has options as long as he stays healthy and continues to get stronger.
[...] AAU circuit are Kyle Anderson (Paterson Catholic, NJ), DaJuan Coleman (Jamesville-DeWitt, NY) and Alex Murphy (St. Marks, MA). We just talk about regular stuff. Like, I was just asking DaJuan if Syracuse was cold because I [...]