National Signing Day came and went, and Arizona Basketball fans can take a collective sigh of relief as highly coveted guard Nico Mannion officially signed.
It seems like a fairly difficult time to be an Arizona Basketball fan. Still in a somewhat state of paranoia since news broke of the FBI Investigation, fans these days are counting their blessings.
Not long ago, the Wildcats were on pace to sign another highly coveted class, but fast forward to a little over a year later and that recruiting all but nearly fizzled outside current freshman, Brandon Williams.
Arizona Wildcats
Some poor reporting and irresponsible journalism by ESPN wrecked Arizona’s optics in the recruiting world, and gave recruits a bit of hesitation in joining the Cats.
A bit of stability has breathed new life into the program, as head coach Sean Miller and the Wildcats have blazed the recruiting trails.
So far for 2019, Arizona has received commitments from:
- 5-star SG/SF- Josh Green (IMG Academy)
- 5-star PG- Nico Mannion (Pinnacle High School)
- 4-star SF- Terry Armstrong (Bella Vista Prep)
- 3-star C- Christian Koloko (Sierra Canyon High School)
The class is so talented, it is currently ranked 3rd in the country and 2nd in the Pac-12, only behind USC (another program named in the FBI Investigation).
Well, that’s all great, however, a commitment is only as good as a players’ word. Nothing really becomes official or binding until that player signs a National Letter of Intent (NLI).
Luckily, with the early signing period upon us, Arizona fans can breath a collective sigh of relief, as Mannion was the first Wildcat to sign his NLI. That news came yesterday, when the Arizona-based guard signed at his home in Phoenix.
A couple shots of five-star point guard Nico Mannion from his Instagram page of him signing his National Letter of Intent with Arizona today. Definitely a statement to go with the NLI versus simply financial aid papers pic.twitter.com/E8BFlzovia
— Matt Moreno (@MattRMoreno) November 14, 2018
Easily one of the more coveted recruits in the class, Mannion’s decision to sign was definitely a statement, and one that all Wildcat fans should greatly welcome.
As for the others? Well, those papers are coming too!
Green signed yesterday, which is undoubtedly huge! Also, Armstrong will return to his home in Flint, MI to sign his. There is no news on Koloko on when he will sign.
Signing day was certainly a great day for Arizona, as the Wildcats have started to truly secure their stellar recruiting class for 2019!
Just in case you need a reminder of what Arizona’s back court will look like, here’s a nice preview!
At Zona Zealots, we are excited for the positive, Arizona Basketball news! We would like to congratulate all our Wildcats on signing their National Letters of Intent and can’t wait until they officially join! Bear Down, Arizona!