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Mannion commits to Arizona

Years of recruiting and a reclassification later, Arizona finally has its man. Five-star point guard Nico Mannion has officially pulled the trigger on a commitment to the in-state program giving Sean Miller and his staff the first pledge of the 2019 class.

Mannion, who had other options on the table such as Villanova, Duke, Kansas, Utah, Virginia and Arizona State, ultimately decided to go with the program that had made him its top priority. Miller's staff has been recruiting the 6-foot-3 point guard since he burst onto the scene at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix.

When Mannion reclassified from the 2020 class to the 2019 class it only increased UA's chances of landing the No. 20-prospect in the country. Mannion, whose father Pace played at Utah and then in the NBA from 1983-89, eventually picked UA over Marquette as he came down to two schools in recent days.

"I've been down there a couple times for unofficials to see games and see campus," Mannion said of Arizona back in the summer. "They're a great staff. I love the coaching staff and the guys down there. It's just a great program."

Arizona landed its first five-star recruit since the 2017 class Friday when Nico Mannion gave the program his pledge
Arizona landed its first five-star recruit since the 2017 class Friday when Nico Mannion gave the program his pledge (Matt Moreno/GOAZCATS.com)
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In Mannion, the Wildcats have the first piece to what could be a bounce-back class for Miller and his new-look staff. The program had to deal with the ramifications of the FBI investigation into college basketball and it meant a lower-rated class for 2018. Now that the program has its feet under it once again it can move forward with Mannion as the focal piece.

Fellow five-star shooting guard Josh Green is a travel ball teammate and close friends with Mannion. He is someone else the Wildcats have had their eye on for quite some time and he will be on campus next month for an official visit as he looks to make a choice from a group that includes North Carolina, Kansas, Villanova and others.

Getting Mannion onboard, no matter how expected the decision was, is only going to help strengthen UA's position with Green and other prospects in the class.

The five-star point guard has continued to develop his game throughout his high school career as he has become a well-rounded point guard heading into his senior year at Pinnacle. Mannion played well for his West Coast Elite squad on the Under Armour circuit throughout the summer and continued to show his growth as a prospect throughout July.

"I would say my IQ," Mannion said about where his game has progressed the most heading into his final year of high school basketball. "I feel like I'm a smart player and I understand the game pretty well. Then probably my leadership and being able to trust my guys to do what I need them to do.

"I'm pretty much the coach on the floor being a point guard, so I'm always talking trying to get my guys involved."

Playing near home and playing down in Tucson is something that has long had Mannion's attention and he has consistently felt the attention from UA fans whenever he gets down to campus.

"Their fanbase is crazy," Mannion said about the fans he will soon be playing in front of. "... They're everywhere ... it's cool to know I have a hometown school that's rooting for me."

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