NYC guard picks Georgia Tech over Rutgers, Seton Hall
Jose Alvarado was the top priority for Rutgers. Many thought he was headed there.
From the day he got hired last spring, Rutgers basketball coach Steve Pikiell made New York City point guard Jose Alvarado the program’s top recruiting priority in the Class of 2017.
It wasn’t enough.
Alvarado committed to Georgia Tech on Thursday, a massive surprise after the Scarlet Knights appeared to be in the driver’s seat for months. Seton Hall also was a finalist.
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A 6-foot senior guard from high school power Christ the King who has drawn rave reviews for his intangibles, Alvarado seemed to fit Pikiell’s vision as a feisty, heady playmaker. His decision leaves Rutgers with one scholarship opening for 2017-18. An incoming combo guard, Geo Baker, is expected to sign a National Letter of Intent in November.
Georgia Tech went 21-15 last winter and is rebuilding under new coach Josh Pastner, formerly of Memphis.
Meanwhile, Seton Hall’s search for a point guard of the future continues. The Pirates, who are stocked at every other position for 2017-18, also had targeted New York City’s Isaiah Washington before he committed to Minnesota last week.
Staff Writer Jerry Carino: jcarino@gannettnj.com.