Soto jumps to ACC

The ACC strikes again. Josue Soto, a 5-foot-11, 174-pound point guard from Arlington Country Day in Jacksonville, Fla., made his decision and he isn't going too far away from home.

While visiting Florida State University, Soto decided he wanted to join the Seminoles program and committed to Leonard Hamilton and staff, according to Soto's AAU coach Art Alvarez.

"He's ecstatic about the opportunity to play in the ACC," Alvarez said. "He'll have the opportunity play against two of our other players in Guillermo Diaz and Dennis Clemente, who are both at Miami."

Soto is the 18th player to commit to an ACC program in the last month and he's the third player to pledge to Hamilton in the last three weeks. The 'Noles nabbed Uche Echefu away from North Carolina and Floridian Aaron Holmes is one of the top guards in the Southeast from the class of 2006. The Noles also have a commitment from center John Kreft.

Soto, the No. 58 ranked player in the class of 2006, has shined on the AAU scene this spring and should step right into the point guard spot in Tallahassee.

"With no real true point guard there, I think Josue will have a chance to come in and play right away," Alvarez said. "This is big time.

"People don't realize that Josue will play in his third Nike All-American camp this year. When he was 14, he went to the Hoop Jamboree and did so well they invited to the All-American camp. He's been playing well ever since. Honestly, every point guard he's gone up against, he's out played them."

Soto picked Florida State over Wake Forest, who recently offered, and Indiana. Alvarez said Illinois was "sitting on the fence in the late part of it."

Alvarez has had his fair share of top players come through his Miami Tropics program, including Diaz and Clemente. He believes Soto has a chance to be very special.

"I think when it is all said and done, he will be the best one of them all," Alvarez said. "He's just so smart. He can score, put it on the floor and pass whenever he needs to. He's the complete point guard.

"He's going to be a stud."