Joseph Soto remembers being at a family barbecue and fielding the call from Virginia coach Tony Bennett, who wanted to officially invite the Rio Mesa High star to take an official visit to ACC basketball country.”My hands were sweating, knowing the dream was right there,” said Soto. “I was picturing everything. I had the feeling. It not becoming reality is something that eats at me.”
Unable to academically qualify for a Division I scholarship, Soto has enrolled at coach Joey Ramirez’s finishing school at Ventura College, where the electrifyingly talented 6-foot-2 guard is midway through his maturation process.
“He’s learning that you have to prepare to succeed,” said Ramirez. “His daily regimen is 100 percent different, from what he does after practice and after study hall to time management, setting boundaries and other tools that allow you to be successful.”
