Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball player Raul Delgado will be taking his talents to the Division I level after verbally committing to attend Brigham Young University on Sunday.
Delgado accepted the offer after taking a recruiting trip to Provo, Utah. He said it was an obvious choice after visiting the campus. Delgado will officially sign with BYU when the late signing period begins in April.
“They were recruiting me out of high school and I live only 10 minutes away from BYU,” he said. “BYU is an amazing program. They went to the Sweet 16 two years ago and they have been sending people to the NBA. My friends Brandon Davies and Kyle Collinsworth play on the same team and I will be playing with them. That was a dream I always had to be playing with them.”
BYU was Delgado’s first officially recruiting visit and he couldn’t help but not accept the offer over the weekend. Delgado also had interest from TCU, Southern Utah, Wyoming, Detroit, Texas A&M, UCLA and Colorado. He said it is a relief to get that pressure off his shoulders.
“There was a lot of pressure on me with all the colleges calling me. It was like 15 coaches calling me every day,” he said. “To me it was a lot of distraction and a lot of stress. I knew exactly where I always wanted to go and that was BYU. I ended up going on my first official visit and I just made my decision to commit and become a Cougar of Brigham Young University.”
Delgado is projected to step in right away after the Cougars lose two seniors in May. He said BYU runs the same type of offense as WNCC, so it should be a smooth adjustment.
“I think I fit pretty well on the team,” he said. “I think it was one of the best options for me basketball-wise and to make a better life. I am pretty close to my family and I will be living at home and being around the communities that I played high school in. This was always my dream and it finally came true.”
Delgado is originally from Chihauhau, Mexico, but attended high school at Springville High School in Utah. Delgado said he moved to Utah when he was 16 by himself. He said he lived in an apartment and had a family in Utah that really helped him to be successful in school academically.
“It is always good to go back and be closer to her families,” he said. “My family from Mexico will be able to travel to Utah and watch me play. It is always comfortable to be close to home, especially when you go to college, because it is a lot of responsibility and you always need a mom, dad and family support.”
The 6-foot-2 shooting guard is averaging 19.7 points a game and is shooting 43 percent from the 3-point are. Delgado set a new school record when he nailed 12 3-pointers in a win against Little Big Horn College. He has scored double figures in 27 straight games dating back to last season. As a freshman, Delgado buried 81 3-pointers and shoot 53 percent from beyond the arc.
Delgado said he was watching film from when he played in high school and can’t believe the improvement he has made.
“I watched film from when I was in high school and I didn’t have the concept of basketball as well,” he said. “I saw basketball not as a job but just to have fun. When I came here, it was more like a job. I think I have done a good job in basketball and hopefully we can take the goal that we have to take the championship.”
WNCC is one of the hottest teams in Region IX right know, sporting an 18-3 record. The Cougars are currently ranked 19th in the country, which is the first time they have been ranked in the regular season poll since March 2005. Delgado said it means a lot to be of a team that is restoring Cougar magic.
“It is always good to be on a team that is this good with this much talent,” he said. “This team is more unified than last years and we see each other as a brother. We are trying to realize our goals of winning regionals and going to Hutchinson.”
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