Alexander may not be The Great but he is very good

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LAS VEGAS – It might not have been audible to the human ear.

However, in at least figurative fashion, there was a collective sign of disappointment in the building Sunday afternoon as the camp squads Syracuse and Connecticut warmed up on Court 2 for the start of games’ action during the 2013 LeBron James Skills Academy.

Why? Because what promised to be one of the more intriguing individual matchups of July – much less the camp – was short-circuited before the opening tip.

Six-foot-10 Myles Turner (Euless, TX, Trinity), who had gone from relative “unknown”, at least nationally, until climbing tear the top of the ratings in the national Class of 2014 post prospects during the spring and early summer, is on the Connecticut roster.

And one of the members of the Syracuse roster is 6-8 Cliff Alexander (Chicago Currie), the consensus choice as the best “pure power forward” in 2014.

Oh, yeah . . . ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it was going to be a confrontation, of sorts, taking in the vicinity in and around the respective lanes, well above both rims.

OK, maybe history wouldn’t paint it with the same brush used to commemorate, say, Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing vs. Hakeem Olajuwon or even Andrew Wiggins vs. Julius Randle in the same setting 12 months before.

Alas, those sprinting to prime courtside locations couldn’t help but notice Turner sitting on the Connecticut bench somewhat glumly as the teams traversed their respective layup lines.

A sore hamstring was enough to limit to very-tall-spectator status, for at least Sunday.

We might get to see Turner against some of the other big-and-gifted youngsters in attendance on Monday if he is cleared to get on the court.

But, on Sunday, he was as helpless as were his Connecticut teammates Trey Mourning (Miami Ransom Everglades and the son of you-know-who, by way of teammates in keeping) and Dwayne Morgan (Baltimore St. Francis) in preventing the full assault on the rims by the 239-pound Alexander.

Kameron Chatman (Long Beach, CA, Poly) and Justin Coleman (Birmingham, AL, Wenoah) delivered some nifty passes that Alexander into point-blank layups and dunks.

Alexander looks to be at least an inch or so taller while being draped with 20 or so more pounds of muscle than roughly a year ago, when he was so impressive during Pangos All-American, NBA Players Association Top 100 and LeBron James camp stints.

He’s also is much more comfortable – and effective – with a jump hook over his left shoulder that he called on two or three times Sunday afternoon.

As for his repertoire of “counter” offensive moves, I’ll let you know as soon as I see someone force him to resort to one this month.

The left-handed Chatman – who was never cleared to play for Poly in 2012-13 after transferring from Portland Jefferson in the spring of 2012 – was every bit as impressive with his versatility as Alexander was with his power and aggression during the game.

Chatman, who goes about 6-6 and could be back in Portland for his senior season, scored on both deep- and mid-range jumpers, including a turnaround from the right short corner that was remarkable in not only its degree of difficulty but because of the fluidity and ease in which Chatman delivered it.

He may not prove to be a full-time “point guard”, per se, wherever he ends up in college some 13 months or so from now.

But whichever head coach is fortunate to be on the receiving end of his National Letter of Intent isn’t going to have any angst attacks when he looks on the floor and sees Chatman running his offense, both in transition and half-court scenarios as well.

Other observations, via Sunday’s action:

*Two members of Alabama’s prep Class of 2014 were players who impressed me about as much as anyone did Sunday.

The aforementioned 5-10 – give or take – Coleman is one of the 10 or so best PG prospects in the camp.

But also just about as good as any jump shooter here, as well.

And William Lee (Plantersville, AL, Dallas County), listed at 6-8 and 192 pounds, was just about as impressive a high-rise shot blocker and rebounder as was on display Sunday.

A third Alabama standout, 7-2, 275-pound Isaac Haas (Hokes Bluff), would have been one of the very best “true 5s” in the camp if he had received an invitation. He’s a member of the Nike-affiliated Alabama Challenge, as is Lee.

Coleman plays for the EYBL’s Georgia Stars.

*Rashad Vaughn (soon to relocate to a prep school but he’s from Robbindale, MN) at times scored with near-absurd ease Sunday for the Kentucky team.

Be it from deep, mid-range or to-the-glass, there isn’t a better scorer in the national Class of 2014.

And I’m not sure there is a real close second, either, quite frankly.

*Some cool individual matchups Sunday included (point guards) Parker Jackson-Cartwright (Los Angeles Loyola) vs. Tyler Ulis (Chicago Heights Marian Catholic) and 2015 power forwards Ivan Rabb (Oakland, CA, Bishop O’Dowd) vs. Cheick Diallo (Centerreach, NY, Our Savior).