The Wildcats were in the middle of a college recruiting scandal and Barcello was having some issues with extended family. He also knows there's plenty of work to do within the Cougars' own conference. So the sample size for his postseason career is small at the moment. The coaches showed me clips and film. Then I had a story on the running back group, which will be followed up by a story on the receiver group in Sundays print issue. Coach Mark Pope, a showman who has a flair for the dramatic, hatched a plan of how to announce that decision to the world. "Only three other teams have an All-American coming back to their program. The last time theyd see him thwomp on the Marriott court while diving for a loose ball or finishing at the rim in traffic. His brother, Devin, played for the Cougars in the 1970s and 80s. I want to cleanse that bitter feeling. [21] He notched his third double-digit scoring game of the season versus California (2/21/19), scoring 14 points in 18 minutes, going 7-of-7 from the free throw line. That means Durrant has seen the likes of Danny Ainge, Nate Call, Tyler and T.J. Haws, Chase Fischer and Jimmer Fredette. Whether Mark Pope realized it or not, he made history when he inserted Alex Barcello, Te'Jon Lucas, Seneca Knight, Gideon George, and Fousseyni Traore into the starting lineup. [29] On February 25, 2021, Barcello scored a career-high 29 and hit 7-of-7 three-pointers, a program record, in a 7973 win against San Francisco. But he said recently that anyone would be hard-pressed to find another player who transferred to the school, connected with the fan base and grew as a person as much as Barcello did in the last three years. [14] He opened his collegiate career with a strong three-game run of 7.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 58.3 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from three-point range. It's definitely a bitter feeling in my mouth, and I want to cleanse that bitter feeling, to renew it with an even better feeling. I also feel that its a special opportunity for Alex to be at BYU, where theres so much support. I dont want to live with any regrets. [7] In his senior season, Barcello scored 2,254 career points at Corona shooting over 55 percent from the field and almost 90 percent from the charity stripe. BYU men's basketball All-American Alex Barcello has earned an invitation to play in the 68th annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament which is set to take place in on April 13-16 in Portsmouth . While the BYU mens basketball team has lost star guard Alex Barcello, a three-year starter, the womens team is adding a Barcello. My brother made the transition a lot easier. Reading or replaying the story in its As the ball swished in, the crowd erupted in unison. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. As a parent, you want your kids in the best environment possible.. Against Cal State Fullerton, Barcello hit 7 of 9 shots from the floor, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range while contributing three steals, two assists and two blocked shots, a harbinger of what he would be providing this season. Hes an extraordinary fit. Editors note This story is available to Salt Lake Tribune subscribers only. -, Secret Chinese police outpost revealed in NY; 2 men arrested, 'I should have stopped,' driver allegedly said after 104 mph police chase, Have You Seen This? He didnt get as much time as the others to climb as far up the record books in categories such as total points, wins, 3-point field goals made. Alex Barcello is so grateful toward BYU that he decided to come back. BYU guard Alex Barcello high-fives a participant during a Fathers and Sons basketball camp at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo on Friday, May 28, 2021. On August 12, 2022, Barcello signed his first professional contract overseas with Kolossos Rhodes of the Greek Basket League. I believe he has the opportunity to achieve his goals, he said. I got it at the beginning of the season, he said. Hes interested in, and weve had talks about religion, and things like that. web browser that He was a kid when the Swift raids split his family. We anticipate that the upperclassmen, in their own way, will need to fill leadership roles. All Rights Reserved, Amanda Barcello following in the footsteps of older brother Alex, How Arizona transfer Alex Barcello became an extraordinary fit for BYU basketball, Opportunity to play for her mom not only reason Amari Whiting committed to BYU, How Amber Whiting became the next head coach for BYU womens basketball, What Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said about BYU transfer Caleb Etienne. In the Feb. 25 game against the San Francisco Dons, Barcello's scoring ability was on full display with 29 points, including a BYU record seven consecutive 3-pointers made. And Alex Barcello delivered on that Friday night. pic.twitter.com/8JVFHzIhIA. Durrant said Barcellos toughness reminds him of Ainge, his shooting ability reminds him of Fredette and his leadership reminds him of T.J. Haws. We need to fill roles on the court. The former Arizona player opted to take advantage of the NCAA blanket waiver that froze eligibility for fall and winter sport athletes and come back for a second senior season. New faces, new league bring new expectations as BYU nears Big 12 era, Parents ask for help finding missing kids they say are being hidden by followers of Warren Jeffs, Flood risks return to Utah; state's record snowpack could produce record streamflows, Photojournalist for ABC4 dies after getting hit by car in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Man charged in shooting of Black teen at his front door, Former child star with ties to Idaho talks about acting career, 10-year battle with addiction, Boy, 13, gets stuck climbing into claw machine for prize, Waiting for a housing market crash could cost you BYU guard Alex Barcello high-fives a participant during a Fathers and Sons basketball camp at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo on Friday, May 28, 2021. 24 Mar 2023 21:31:57 Hes good. Questions about Sports360AZ's reporting, wanting to submit your stories, or curious about advertising opportunities? View this post on Instagram [28], Coming into his senior season, Barcello was named to the Preseason All-West Coast Conference team. Barcello is BYU's unquestioned leader and currently the best player as a 5th-year senior. [26] He had 18 points and a career-high six three pointers, part of a BYU record 18 three pointers, in a 7754 win over Loyola Marymount on February 14, 2020. Giving back an NCAA bid is the least he could do, Sometimes BYU basketball staff misses on a transfer, but that helped lead to rare twice portal-bound Te'Jon Lucas, How Conner Mantz and other Utah runners finished at 127th Boston Marathon, College basketball transfer tracker: Steven Ashworth commits to Creighton, Charlotte's Aly Khalifa commits to BYU, and 5 other transfers Cougars have targeted, Defensive starters get better of offense in BYU's clear-skied spring scrimmage. Clearly, as Cougar Nation knows, he helped us win a lot of games. Over the past two seasons, only three teams have beaten the Zags and the Cougars are the only ones to do so in the regular season, joining a group that includes reigning national champion Baylor from March. Edward Barcello figured BYU was right for his son. Kolossos, a team in the top division of hoops in Greece, announced that it has signed Barcello. In his first season at BYU, Barcello averaged 9.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. [6], In his junior season, in the state tournament, Barcello surpassed 1,000 points in only his second varsity season. He has a heart of gold, Nixon said. That created another challenge. Dink Pate, a five-star recruit in the 2024 high school class, has signed with the NBA's G League Ignite program, he told ESPN, saying that he plans "to keep working to the best of my ability to prove that I can play in the NBA.". Next Up In BYU sports He started in all 94 games he played in as a Cougar after transferring from the University of Arizona where he played two seasons. Hes a religious guy and he seems interested. Hell go down, in my book, as one of the best guards to ever play at BYU., defender had NO chance pic.twitter.com/NtwMVvNZp2. 1 2018 player Marvin Bagley III, who later transferred. Barcello finished his time at BYU ranked No. The Associated Press released its college basketball All-American team Tuesday morning and BYU guard Alex Barcello was named an honorable mention. Barcello has never scored, shot, rebounded or distributed more effectively seriously, he's shooting an absurd 63 percent from 3 while being more involved than ever, ranking fourth nationally. He played college basketball for the BYU Cougars of the West Coast Conference (WCC) and for the Arizona Wildcats. The record book already shows him as holding the current record for 3-point percentage (48.1%) and effective field goal percentage (61.5%). In 2020-21, Barcello averaged 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Alexs Corona del Sol team was upset early despite entering the tournament as the top seed. He was coached by the godfather of basketball, Art Dye who now coaches at Benjamin Franklin High School, "Another Barcello joins the family 1,000-points club", "Corona needs OT but completes threepeat", "Corona del Sol leaves no doubt in fourth straight title", "Corona del Sol PG Alex Barcello commits to UA", "Corona del Sol, Shadow Mountain sit atop Divisions I, II for boys basketball state tournament", "Alex Barcello named Gatorade Arizona POY", "What does newly eligible transfer Alex Barcello bring to BYU basketball? Since 2011, theres been only one year where there wasnt at least one state champion living in the Barcello house. Then, surrounded by the young campers, who had just been chanting, One more year! Barcello took the microphone. They are two different environments, he said. In LaCombs mind, the greatest BYU players are remembered for how far they took their teams. So hopefully we're feeling the same thing that the other 63 teams are feeling. 2 Alex Barcello, 6-2, PG, So. Barcello was born in the metropolitan area of Phoenix, Arizona, to Edward and Shelli Barcello, who were both former basketball players. Brigham Young Cougars guard Alex Barcello (4) defends Cal State Fullerton Titans guard Austen Awosika (10) as BYU and Cal State Fullerton play a college basketball game at the Marriott Center in Provo on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019. I didnt see that being a possibility this year but I dont want to live with any regrets. Thats surreal. Its a surreal feeling. Certainly, the Cougars will miss the 6-foot-2 guard from Arizona this season. He definitely was a really big part of it. For Alex Barcello, hes enjoying this fresh start, which he knows will have enduring consequences. I thank God for the opportunity. Players dont owe anyone anything, but I am glad to see Barcello stay. Like with my son whos being recruited by a couple dozen schools, and now my daughter is being recruited by a lot of schools all of a sudden, after this year, shes kind of got on everybodys radar. His shooting splits were 48.8% from the field, 44.4% from the 3-point line and 87.3% from the free throw line ever so close to the 50-40-90 efficiency that only the purest shooters ever achieve. Season-in-review: How a BYU basketball campaign filled with uncertainty produced a bevy of highlights, Change may be on the way for the transfer portal and college football recruiting, Heres when Utah ties are headed to NFL rookie minicamps, How have BYU players drafted since 2000 fared in the NFL? [10][11] He was a consensus four-star prospect in the Class of 2017 and committed to play at Arizona over offers from Virginia, Butler, Indiana and Stanford. [23], Barcello announced he planned to transfer from Arizona prior to the 201920 season. Ask anyone who has historical knowledge about Cougars mens basketball, and those names will inevitably be mentioned among the programs greatest guards. And it was devastating for her because she had seen her two siblings win, and win often, and she wanted it so bad. [2] Sarah and Julia are also college basketball players, playing for Marist College and Colgate. Why NCAA tourney experience was a defining moment for BYU. Information in the story may be outdated But now shes ready to make an impact. "When he finally got the clarity that he needed and made that decision, it was awesome.". He also advanced to the finals of American Family Insurance National 3-Point Shooting Competition. Donate to the newsroom now. It was a movie the night that it happened. According to NJ.com, Zach Wilson has had mixed results through the first half of OTAs. After all, BYU recently announced LaVell Edwards Stadium would go back to full capacity for the 2021 season. Amid the uproarious celebrations, he tapped on his left wrist where a watch might be. I try to just to keep them tough, Alex said. Like all basketball players, Barcello has pro ambitions. BYU was a breath of fresh air for Barcello. Im not an LDS member but my morals and values are the same, Barcello said. We were very happy for Sarah, Edward said. Brigham Young Cougars guard Alex Barcello (4) drives around Loyola Marymount Lions forward Ivan Alipiev (35) during the game at the Marriott Center in Provo on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020. 24 Mar 2023 20:58:23 It was hard on me just because, being in the Corona del Sol basketball program we arent used to losing, Alex said. And he's a remarkable outside shooter. Barcello was injured while going for a loose ball and one of my teammates swung their arm back and took my thumb with them, she said. Trevin Knell buries the 3 from the wing for BYU, BYU upsets No. BYUs Amanda Barcello poses during a photo shoot in Provo. Hes the best shooter.. 25 Mar 2023 14:08:18 For now, Sarah and Alex both said they have work to do. I was happy for her but it was really hard on me because I wished that I couldve been playing in that game at 8:00.. Alex found a home in Provo after transferring from Arizona in 2019. PROVO Alex Barcello's biggest impact in BYU's gritty 95-87 double-overtime win over Pacific came long before he scored 23 points, or shot 7 of 11 from the field, or made 9 of 10 free throws . Barcello is the undisputed leader of the BYU men's basketball team in 2020-21 not. [9] He registered three double-digit scoring games, opened the season with seven points and three rebounds in 15 minutes against Houston Baptist (11/17). I keep an eye on enough discussion boards and Facebook groups to know that most times fans turn a little on those who leave early feeling as if they were betrayed by a player they became so invested in. This roster without Alex Barcello is going to have different guys, in their own way, step up to fill some of those different areas and different roles, he said. And for her to go through that and the roles are reversed, where she got to experience it and get a championship, but then Alex obviously for the first time experienced losing and not getting that.. Barcello averaged 16.1 points, 4.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game as a senior for the Cougars in 2020-21, helping lead BYU and second-year coach Pope to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years. I stayed after my freshman year, thinking it would get better. It was good to hear that from former teammates that I respect, Barcello said. Barcello traveled to Arizona to attend Zoes graduation from the University of Arizona and to ask for her fathers blessing before asking her to marry him. During his decision-making process, Barcello talked to agents and NBA teams. They were like, youve got to sign this. I wanted to come back. He loves it., Were alike mentality-wise. Meet Zo Simpson, Alex Barcello's Girlfriend-Turned-Fiancee. Academics Student-Athlete of the Month for February. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The Cougars were clinging to a one-point lead when Barcello took a pass in the corner and knocked down a 3-pointer with 27 seconds remaining in a 68-64 victory, though he had missed his previous three 3-point attempts against the Aggies. You know Pope, go big or go home, Barcello said. I really do love Alex and hes been huge on the court. Donate to the newsroom now. And he has proven to be an emotional leader, someone who isnt afraid to show his emotions and his exuberance for the game of basketball. Barcello came to Provo from a toxic environment, both with the team and personally. [12], In his freshman year at Arizona, Barcello appeared in 21 games from his point guard position. Then, after the season, coach Jeff Judkins retired and Whiting was hired. BYU football is adding a starting offensive line transfer from Big 12 country, Steven Ashworth has made a decision on where hell play next year, How Conner Mantz and other BYU alumni fared in the Boston Marathon. Arizonas a great program. Barcello returning was the biggest addition for BYU. Prior to Arizona Member of ESPN Top 100 in 2017 So I help them with that part of it. I just want to be known as a guy that gave it his all every time he stepped out on the floor, Barcello said. We both go about things in the same way. He averaged 2.4 points as a freshman and 3.3 as a sophomore. I think its a huge thing for our program. One of those regrets was the ending to the 2020-21 season. Thats pretty impressive.. After spending two checkered seasons in Tucson, Barcello arrived in Provo in August 2019 as a transfer. I love the fans so much. I love the competition and I have a huge love for the game.. [8] He tallied 31 points in his teams win over Christ the King in the Hoophall Classic. "I wanted to leave it out on the table, and give my whole heart to his team, this coaching staff, and my new beautiful fiance. I fit him as a coach, basketball-wise, and he fits me as a player in terms of how he wants to approach this game. Check out the highlights that should make fans excited about Steven Ashworth transferring to Creighton. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Before Barcellos announcement, Pope told the crowd that Barcello had just gotten engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Zoe Simpson. A post shared by KSL.com Sports (@kslcomsports), More importantly, though, is what Barcello brings to the team both statistically and in the locker room, one Pope had continuously referred to as "the best locker room in America.". I wanted to see myself put on that jersey and play in front of those crowds. And Alex I think is just like that, where he wants to do everything possible to come back and win one his senior year and go out on top like Julia did.. BYU basketball has a new prospect to monitor for the class of 2041. Thankfully, this coaching staff believed in me and gave me the opportunity to come here and play. Hes fit in really well and its been fun to have him here., Hes been a perfect fit for us and I think weve been a perfect fit for him, too. What he doesnt have going for him right now is an NCAA Tournament run or even an NIT-type of Final Four appearance, ESPN960 analyst Benjamin Criddle said. 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