Word surfaced about a week ago that Sean Miller and the Arizona Wildcats would be very interested in landing former Duquesne point guard T.J. McConnell following the news that he was transferring. The UA was rumored to be near the top of the sophomore's list from the early going, and a report came on Thursday that confirmed these whispers.
According to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, McConnell and his family have narrowed their list of potential schools down to Arizona and Virginia. He visited UVA earlier this week and will visit UA next Thursday and Friday. A decision is expected shortly after that.
The McConnell's have ties to Arizona Coach Sean Miller, who is from the area and played at Pitt.
"It has a lot to do with it. We've known the Miller's for a long time," said Tim McConnell. "My son really enjoyed his visit to Virginia too and really liked the coach there. It's going to come down to where he fits in best."
Numerous schools tried to convince the talented point guard to take visits to their campuses, but two have stood out the entire time.
"There were other schools, but to be honest it's between Virginia and Arizona," said Tim McConnell. "He didn't get to do this in high school because he committed so early. He really enjoyed his visit and wants to go to Arizona to just compare and see what's best for him."
There is no doubt that Miller and the coaching staff will put the full-court press on McConnell when he arrives in Tucson next week, and the need for him is huge starting in 2013 after he sits out a year. Given that he still has a redshirt option remaining, McConnell will have two seasons of eligibility left.
With Duquesne last season, he averaged 11.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists. He shot .503% from the field, hit 43% of his 3-pointers (38-for-88) and was among the nation's best with 2.8 steals-per-game.
Pretty impressive. It is no wonder why Arizona wants this kid so badly.
For more on the Wildcats, head on over to AZ Desert Swarm.