Italian forward Valeria Trucco has committed to ArizonaIt’s early in the 2018 recruiting process, but Arizona is making tremendous progress and altering the recruiting landscape in the PAC-12. Earlier this week, coach Adia Barnes and her staff landed a verbal commitment from 6-foor-3 forward Valeria Trucco of Italy. Trucco was a member of last summer’s Italian U17 World Championship team that finished second. The five-star prospect picked the PAC-12 school over California and Georgia Tech after making official visits to all three programs.
For Arizona, Trucco has the potential to make an immediate impact both as an individual offensive threat as well as being a member of a class that compliments her game. Current Arizona verbal’s Cate Reese and Shalyse Smith bring toughness, rebounding, and physicality to a frontline in need of those traits. Trucco, however, will be the finesse post. Offensively, Trucco is a versatile stretch four with some back the basket skill. She is most comfortable playing in space, making plays off the bounce, and shooting open jumpers. Having frontcourt players like Smith and Reese alongside a skilled forward the caliber of Trucco should make for an exciting interior combination in Tuscon.
In addition to Trucco, Reese, and Smith, Arizona has a verbal commitment from Bryce Nixon, a wing with the ability to stretch the floor as a perimeter shooter. With three impact frontcourt players, Nixon’s presence will be needed to help provide Arizona with a perimeter attack. Look for Arizona to stay active in the 2018 class as another guard will be a key for them to round out this class. Either a playmaking point guard or scoring wing that can create her own shot would be a welcomed addition to what has already become one of the elite recruiting classes in the country.
