CINCINNATI — Purcell Marian junior Dee Alexander won't ever forget the exhilaration she felt in April when she verbally committed to play basketball at the University of Cincinnati.
The moment signaled a new journey for the five-star player during a much-anticipated announcement in front of Fifth Third Arena.
"I was told that it was going to be a really big day of mine and that the city was going to go crazy," Alexander said. "A bunch of people — they're still texting me, just talking about it all the time."
Flanked by microphones and recorded by numerous cameras, the two-time Ohio Ms. Basketball recipient stood in front of the Oscar Robertson statue and declared her desire to stay just five minutes from her family's home.
Alexander heard applause from family, friends and Purcell Marian coaches behind her. She burst into a megawatt smile.
It was a picturesque setting for Alexander's unofficial entrance into college basketball and the world of name, image and likeness (NIL) that awaits her on campus in 2025 (Alexander is able to sign a National Letter of Intent Nov. 13).
UC women's basketball coach Katrina Merriweather watched the announcement from a locker room April 17 and later complimented the 17-year-old on how well she spoke in front of the media.
Alexander posed for a photo with UC men's basketball player Rayvon Griffith, incoming freshman Tyler McKinley and EZ Sports Group Collegiate Director Tremaine Dees, a family friend who coordinated the media event, and who also represents Griffith and McKinley as an agent.
Everyone exuded joy. The Bearcat mascot greeted Alexander's supporters. There was also a sense of relief for Alexander, who had been in a college recruiting spotlight starting in the seventh grade. At just 14, before she even started high school classes, Alexander had earned 18 scholarship offers.
"It's been pretty amazing just to know that she's going to be this hometown hero," Purcell Marian girls basketball coach Jamar Mosley said. "A great ambassador of Purcell Marian, a great ambassador for our city, our state."
Less than an hour after Alexander's announcement, the UC women's basketball program sent a post on X advertising season tickets.
"Big things happening in Cincinnati!" the post read.
Building an NIL brand
Alexander chose UC, which hasn't had a winning season since 2019-20, among 40-plus scholarship offers.
"I know I can change the University of Cincinnati girls basketball," Alexander said. "So it was just something that I wanted to do. I want to continue to change stuff just around the city."
Those other scholarship offers included national champion South Carolina and other elite programs like the University of Connecticut, Iowa, Louisiana State (LSU), University of Southern California, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas and others.
It's these powerhouse programs where some of the game's stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Flau'jae Johnson, JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers had NIL deals this past season tied to national brands with estimated valuations that make headlines.
"It's an early taste of what it is to be a professional," Dees said.
However, Alexander said she's not motivated by NIL entering the summer before her senior year of high school. In fact, the Gatorade Ohio player of the year said NIL didn't impact her college recruiting.
"I don't try to let the money bother me or nothing like that," said Alexander, who has led Purcell Marian to three consecutive state titles. "I always put that to the side because I knew if I do what I do best it's all going to come with it. It's all going to be a package on what I love to do best."
Although the Ohio High School Athletic Association prohibits NIL in high school sports, Alexander has been building her brand in the community for quite some time.
She's hosted "Camp Dee" for 50-plus youth basketball players each summer since August 2022. Alexander earned a 3.5 grade-point average this school year and is recognized wherever she competes.
"I think it's going to open up many doors with NIL," Mosley said.
'Tremendous' value to UC women's basketball
Tremaine Dees expects Alexander to have a similar impact at UC as Caitlin Clark made at Iowa.
"If you're looking at rankings we haven't had a top-five player ever I don't think in any sport at the University of Cincinnati," Dees said. "So that's huge. And women's college basketball is crazy right now. I'm super excited to see that transform."
Dees, a United States Army veteran and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball coach, represents athletes through EZ Sports Collegiate, an NIL agency he joined in January.
Griffith has NIL deals with Dunkin Donuts, LaRosa's and Yesly Water.
McKinley signed an NIL deal with Ethika earlier this year.
Dees said Alexander's value to UC is "tremendous." Dees hopes to represent the 6-foot-1 wing in the future but will support the Purcell Marian star regardless of her decision.
"She's a junior in high school so it's no type of representation or anything like," Dees said. "I was just a person in the city that has relationships that just wants to help you first and foremost. That's going to always continue to be my thing."
Dees also helps to lead community activities through Bigger Than Sports, a non-profit organization.
"Rayvon for his 19th birthday — he went out and fed the homeless and did all this stuff that he didn't have to do just because again that means a lot to him," Dees said. "It makes me feel good. I try to preach that 'Don't forget where you come from' kind of thing. You talk about being a hometown hero you got to mean on and off the floor; it's bigger than basketball."
With Alexander's visibility on the basketball court and in the community, there are sure to be NIL opportunities once she joins the Bearcats.
"She loves Skyline," Dees said. "She wants her own Skyline sandwich so I got to make that happen. I told her I don't think that will be too hard. I think they'll let her do that."
For now, Alexander will continue her game-day tradition of eating cheese quesadillas, focused on winning a fourth consecutive state title for Purcell Marian next March.
"This is my last ride so I just feel like I'm going to give it my all," Alexander said. "Don't let nothing down. Don't let nothing hold me back."
