It has been a terrific run by the Bella Vista Prep program as of late, for their players and coaches. While winning this year's Grind Session National Championship this weekend, also 7-foot, 290-pound senior post Jimmy Bell recently decided to end his college recruitment, and decided to pull the trigger with a college program in the Atlantic-10 Conference.
Recently, Bell decided to end his long recruiting process and give a verbal commitment to Head Coach Travis Ford and the Saint Louis Billikens. Bell had decided to pass up on the fall signing period, and wait for the spring signing period to make his decision, but he did not have to wait until the spring signing period to make his decision. Now committed to the program, Bell will look to sign a national letter of intent in April.
Bell decided to pull the trigger with Saint Louis, after possessing offers also from UNLV, Oakland, Southern Utah and IUPUI. He also had loads of interest from numerous other programs, and would have generated many more offers as the spring signing deadline approached.
A native of Saginaw, Michigan, Bell worked tirelessly over the past year to transform his body and his game in an attempt to raise his recruiting stock. Bell was once more of a football prospect, as he grew up loving the sport and becoming a serious football prospect for the future. But his love for the game of basketball kept him working just as hard on the basketball court as the gridiron. After picking up the game of basketball during his freshman season in high school, and outgrowing the sport of football, Bell realized that he needed to slim down physically to maximize his potential a a player.
Over the past year, Bell would overcome major adversity in his life, and develop a serious level of discipline for himself. Bell would lose close to 100 pounds in six months after committing himself to a diet and training program that would include major cardio workouts, hiking, biking and basketball workouts - a tremendous commitment by Bell on his body and his future.
As a result of Bell's new commitment to his body and his game, Bell would see his college recruitment take off last summer while playing for the Oakland Soldiers and The Phamily on the Nike EYBL circuit. Bell would raise many eyebrows with his sheer size and mobility.
Bell has anchored the Bella Vista Prep program for the past two seasons - both seasons that the successful prep program has been in operation. He is a true success story for the program, as he has proven that hard work, discipline and focus can lead to tremendous success.
Congratulations to Bell and the Bella Vista coaching staff on this tremendous accomplishment, and good luck from our Arizona Preps' staff on his future.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Bell is an absolute force in the paint and around the basket. After losing loads of weight for himself and refining his approach to the game, Bell had a very strong spring and summer performance for himself, and, as a result, he earned numerous offers for himself. Bell is a true wide-body post prospect with amazing size already for the collegiate level. He has a nice overall skillset and knows how to play the game, and is a good low-post offensive talent that scores effectively with his back to the basket. Also able to face up to the basket and make moves either direction and finish strong around the rim. A strong finisher around the basket. Runs the floor well. A strong rebounder and a good shot blocker. A good passer out of the low post. His added fitness to his once large frame, has improved his ability to play the game a great deal. A nice young man that has overcome tremendous adversity in his life to reach his goals.
