The recruiting battle for one of the nation's elite guard prospects is over, and ended quicker than expected as Corona Del Sol High School's superb 6-foot-2, 170-pound senior sharp-shooting guard Alex Barcello gave a verbal pledge to head coach Sean Miller and the University of Arizona Wildcats on Friday afternoon while on an official recruiting visit to the program.
Barcello had trimmed his recruiting list down to 5 schools and had taken visits to Butler and Stanford before visiting Arizona this week. The lure to become an Arizona Wildcat is often too much for Arizona-native prospects to pass up, and it was too much for Barcello as well. Known as "Point Guard U," a program that has produced numerous NBA players at the point guard position, Barcello will hope to become the next in line for the Wildcats of top performing point guards.
Barcello elected to pass up taking an official recruiting visit to Indiana and Virginia.
Barcello is coming off a big summer performance in numerous camps, and also with the heavily Nike sponsored Oakland Soldiers.
This high school season, Barcello will team up with the state's other top-rated overall prospect, Saben Lee, at Corona Del Sol HS - making up the top backcourt in the West and one of the elite overall backcourts in the country. Lee will sign with Vanderbilt this fall.
Congratulations to Barcello and his amazing basketball family on this tremendous commitment, and good luck to him this high school season and in the future from our staff here at Arizona Preps.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Barcello is a rare find in the state of Arizona or anywhere around the country for that matter, as he has a very advanced offensive skillset that allows him to make plays for himself off the dribble, or while catching and shooting from anywhere on the floor. Barcello has a very quick and accurate release on his shot and is able to get his shot off almost at will. He is deadly from anywhjere on the basketball court, and his individual game will translate very well to the highest college level. A fundamentally sound performer, Barcello is a gym rat and a direct product of countless hours of hard work in the practice gym. He is an exceptional ball handler and passer as well, and, as a result, he plays much better with better players; also making players around him much better. Barcello pushes the basketball up the floor hard and finds the open man on the break, and also can create off the dribble and get into the lane, where he is also able to finish over bigger defenders. Barcello is a very good team defender with quick hands and feet, and he understands positioning on the floor. He also plays the passing lanes very well. He will need to continue to focus on his individual ability to stop quicker guards, and also rebounding to maximize his play on the floor. Overall, an exceptional athlete with a very bright future at the college program of his choice.
