Jared CohenPicking the right college can sometimes be a tricky situation.
For Corona del Sol High School’s Alex Barcello the list was likely a bit longer than most high school students. At the end of August the six-foot-two, 165-pound point guard and state’s top 2017 player committed to the University of Arizona over Virginia, Butler, Indiana and Stanford.
Wednesday afternoon he will make it official signing his letter of intent at CDS.
Barcello will follow the same path to UofA as in-state prep greats who eventually went on to play in the NBA. That list includes Sean Elliott, Channing Frye, Richard Jefferson and Jerryd Bayless.
“Having the relationship with Jerryd [is great],” Barcello told Sports360AZ.com Wednesday morning of playing for Team Bayless. “He reached out to me after I committed and he was very happy for me. It’s unbelievable to play for my home state. I’m very excited.”
He’s also excited to play for fellow point guard Sean Miller.
“That was one of the biggest factors I put into my decision,” Barcello detailed. “I knew he played that position at a very high level. I knew he would give me the knowledge that I needed…to make it to the NBA.”
One of Miller’s latest pupils to make the NBA is Philadelphia 76ers playmaker T.J. McConnell. Some believe Barcello’s game has some of the same characteristics as one of the more popular players in Miller’s tenure at Arizona.
“We’re very similar in our defensive intensity, our energy,” Barcello said. “Being a leader on the floor. But I think I also bring some different things as me as my own player. I think that I’m pretty athletic and I can score the ball pretty well.”
With his college decision now in the rearview mirror, Barcello says it’s time to focus on his senior year, both on and off the floor.
“Just improve myself to be the best player I can be,” he said. “Have some fun with my friends…enjoy my last year of the high school experience.”
