Reading High’s Daniel Alcantara, an All-Berks selection this year, has signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Kutztown University, he said Friday.
The 6-4 Alcantara averaged 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds as a senior and helped the Red Knights win the Berks Conference championship.
He chose the Golden Bears, who were 9-19 last season, over East Stroudsburg, Gannon, West Chester and Jacksonville State.
“I just had a feeling that I should go there,” Alcantara said. “I’m comfortable with the coaches. I feel like that’s where I can be the most successful.
“The coach (Bernie Driscoll) has high expectations for me. I want to go there and be productive.”
Alcantara suffered a broken hand and a chipped bone in his back when he fell awkwardly following a dunk in a District 3 Class 6A quarterfinal win over Wilson. He missed the rest of the season, including Reading’s victory over Warwick for its second straight district title and its loss to Archbishop Wood in the second round of the PIAA Tournament.
He finished his career with 1,056 points, including a career-high 30 against Wilson in the regular season in February. He also averaged 2.2 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocked shots.
“He shoots well,” Driscoll said. “He has a good handle. He can rebound. He can guard bigger guards. We’ve been pretty small at the guard (position). It’s going to be nice to get back to using a bigger guard in different sets.
“He’s an extremely talented young man.”
Driscoll said he expects Alcantara to see significant action as a freshman at Kutztown, where he’ll join former Reading High teammate Wesley Butler, who will be a junior.
“Wesley is like an older brother to me,” Alcantara said. “It’s definitely a plus that he’s there.”
Alcantara averaged 14.0 points as a junior and was Reading’s second-leading rebounder. He helped lead the Red Knights to the district and PIAA Class 6A championships that season and was named to the Pennsylvania Sportswriters Class 6A All-State third team
“I think he’s a hell of a competitor,” Driscoll said. “The young man hates to lose. You see that over a period of watching him play. You look at the little things he does. He’s organizing his teammates. He’s talking in the huddle. He’s diving on the floor. He’s making the big shot. He’s just a winner.”
Alcantara joins a Kutztown recruiting class that includes guard Brendan Boyle of Notre Dame Green Pond, a Class 3A All-State first-team pick; 6-5 Will Meeker of Parkland; and 6-7 Ryan Glassmacher of Bethlehem Catholic.
The Bears also are adding four transfers: 6-8 Josh Samec, from West Chester; 6-3 Jordan Harding, from Wilmington; and brothers Kyle Whippen (6-7) and Chase Whippen (6-4), from Fairmont State.
“Daniel’s a Red Knight,” Driscoll said of Alcantara. “You know he’s played high-level basketball. He’s been coached extremely well by Coach (Rick) Perez. There’s no reason why he can’t come in and make an immediate impact.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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