SALT LAKE CITY — A lot has gone wrong for the BYU men’s basketball team before it even plays a game under first-year head coach Mark Pope, but something that will likely be significant went right on Friday.
The school announced that Arizona transfer guard Alex Barcello received a waiver from the NCAA and is eligible to play this season. Barcello had transferred to BYU in the summer.
In a video posted on Twitter Friday, the ever-energetic Pope is seen running up to Barcello and yelling, “Alex Barcello in the house. Watch out.”
Pope then leaves and Barcello says, “What’s up Cougar Nation? Just finished up with practice and got word that my waiver came through. I’m excited to suit up this year. Let’s go, baby.”
The junior from Chandler, Arizona, played two seasons for the Wildcats, where he averaged 2.9 points per game. That followed a standout prep career, which culminated in him being named an ESPN Top 100 recruit in the nation for the class of 2017.