CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- By the time June is over, the trip from his Atlanta area home to NBPA Top 100 Camp will have been a layup for Rivals150 guard Alex O'Connell. After all, he's in the midst of a busy month of travel that will allow him to visit six programs unofficially.
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Currently ranked No. 131 the 6-foot-5 wing from Milton (Ga.) High has made a case for a bump to four-star status on the floor. Off the floor, he's logged some serious miles taking unofficial visits.
O'Connell has seen Ole Miss, Tulane, Clemson and Georgia Tech. After NBPA Camp, he plans to check out Butler and Syracuse and he knows exactly what he's looking for on the visits.
"Perspective. I get a good feel for this school has this and this one doesn't and it really gives me a good idea of where I fit and stuff like that.
"All of them were good. They were all set up great and I had a great time on every single one of them. There are more to come and I'm sure I'll have a good time on every one of them too."
One school that O'Connell won't be able to hit during his June trips is Arizona State. However, he would like to set up a visit to see the Sun Devils as soon as he gets through the month of July.
"Arizona State is an interesting option," said O'Connell. "I really like the relationship that I have with coach (Bobby) Hurley and coach (Rashon) Burno, so I'm keeping that one in my back pocket."
Capable of shooting from deep or getting to the rim, O'Connell plays with a toughness one might not expect when they see his thin frame. College coaches know that they like, though.
"They see me as a wing player," O'Connell said. "Most of the visits I've been on I've been labeled as not just a shooter but more of a playmaker. I see myself going somewhere and making an impact freshman year and then as I go through my college career just being a better and better player and being more versatile."
Once O'Connell is able to get through all of his visits, a decision should come soon, so it wouldn't a surprise to see him finish up before the end of August and a few things should tip the scales.
"I like schools that are really focused around basketball, you know the whole 'basketball school' term, I like that. Education is going to play a factor, academics," said O'Connell. "Also somewhere where if I got hurt or it wasn't working out for me, I would enjoy being a student there, so college life."