Arizona Basketball junior point guard Alex Barcello announced he will be leaving Arizona to pursue other opportunities.
After two years with Arizona Basketball, junior point guard Alex Barcello has decided to leave Arizona to pursue other opportunities. He is the second former Wildcat to leave in the last couple of months, Terry Armstrong being the other one. Devonaire Doutrive had initially indicated he was transferring from Arizona, but he just recently confirmed he is not going anywhere.
The number one point guard in the state of Arizona for the class of 2017 and a four-star recruit, Barcello was hoping to do great things for Wildcat basketball. That never happened. He saw limited playing time the last two seasons and didn’t even start a single game. Bad timing and never getting the opportunity to truly showcase his abilities probably contributed to his decision.
His freshman season he averaged 2.4 points in 9.6 minutes per game played. Against Long Beach State Barcello had a season-high of 11 points. This past season, he averaged 3.3 points in 9.6 minutes per game played. Barcello did have three games in which he scored in double figures with a season high of 16 points against Georgia Southern.
Playing behind Parker Jackson Cartwright, Allonzo Trier, Brandon Williams, and Justin Coleman, Barcello didn’t see a lot of playing time. That being said, there were plenty of opportunities for head coach Sean Miller to give Barcello the chance to showcase his talents. For whatever reason, he didn’t give Barcello the chance he deserved.
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There could be many other reasons why Barcello had left. Maybe he was unhappy? Maybe he felt he needed to be on a team that will allow him a bigger role and more playing time? Maybe he saw the writing on the wall with the limited playing time he would have received these next two seasons?
Barcello was described as the team’s best shooter by Miller, but yet we never really saw that. The limited playing time he did get, it was hard for him to develop any sort of confidence with his shot. For any shooter to perform at their best, confidence is key. No confidence equates to poor results.
With the departure of Barcello, that now puts Arizona at the max 13 scholarship spots. Recently we reported on 2020 recruit Puff Johnson, brother of Cam Johnson, who has Arizona as one of his top choices. According to 247 Sports Crystal Picks, we are currently the favorites over North Carolina.
Before Doutrive re-confirmed his commitment to Arizona, the idea of Puff reclassifying and play at Arizona this season was an option, but now it looks like it might not. Who knows though? Maybe other Wildcats may transfer. At this point anything is possible. The addition of Johnson would depth to multiple positions as he can play both the two and three.
At Zona Zealots, we would like to wish Alex Barcello the best of luck as he ventures into the next chapter of his basketball career. Hopefully, he gets the opportunity to showcase his talents. As always, Bear Down Arizona!