BYU Star Alex Barcello Earns First WCC Player Of The Week Honor
Nov 22, 2021, 11:40 AM
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 08: Alex Barcello #13 of the Brigham Young Cougars passes against the Pepperdine Waves during the West Coast Conference basketball tournament semifinals at the Orleans Arena on March 8, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Cougars defeated the Waves 82-77 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
PROVO, Utah – BYU basketball guard Alex Barcello has helped lead the Cougars to a 4-0 start. One of those victories included a 32-point thrashing over previously ranked Oregon.
With that win and the high level of play the senior guard displayed, Barcello earned WCC Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career at BYU.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK.@AlexBarcello23 🤝 @WCChoops pic.twitter.com/njwkHzGg4w
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) November 22, 2021
Along with Barcello, the WCC announced Freshman of the Week honors to five-star prospect and potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick Chet Holmgren from Gonzaga. It’s the second time in as many weeks this season that Holmgren has cleaned up the Freshman of the Week honors.
During BYU’s 81-49 victory over the Ducks, Barcello scored 25 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. He also knocked down four of his six three-point field goal attempts in 30 minutes of play.
The 32-point win was BYU’s largest margin of victory against a nationally-ranked team in program history.
After the Oregon game, Barcello had another efficient night against NAIA opponent Central Methodist. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard scored 16 points in 21 minutes of action.
Alex Barcello leads the way for BYU Basketball
A former transfer from the University of Arizona, Barcello has been a starter at BYU since head coach Mark Pope took over as head coach. He took advantage of the NCAA’s blanket eligibility waiver amidst the COVID-19 pandemic last year to return to BYU for one more year.
#BYU head coach Mark Pope on the performance from Alex Barcello: "This Alex Barcello is a pro. There's no doubt about it."#BYUHoops
📷: Courtesy of BYU Photo pic.twitter.com/ggGyDtuFdw
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 13, 2021
Through four games this season, Barcello is averaging 20.5 points, 3.0 assists, 1.5 rebounds per game. He’s shooting a remarkable 70.3% from the field, 60% from three, and a perfect 100% from the free throw line. Barcello is currently on a run of knocking down 38 consecutive free throws. He only needs two more to pass Jimmer Fredette (39) for the second-most consecutive free throw makes in BYU basketball history.
Barcello and the No. 18 ranked BYU Cougars will take on Texas Southern this Wednesday at the Marriott Center. Then on Saturday, they will travel to Salt Lake City to face rival Utah at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
WCC Player of the Week honors during 2021-22 season
November 15: Drew Timme, Gonzaga
November 22: Alex Barcello, BYU
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
