As junior college standout Jeremie Simmons continues to weigh his options with other schools, USF coach Stan Heath is already looking elsewhere for guard help this spring, and it appears the Bulls are focusing on Gaby Belardo, a 6-foot-3 combo guard from Puerto Rico who played this season at Notre Dame Prep in Massachusetts.

Belardo caught the Bulls' attention with a breakout performance last weekend in the Kingwood Classic in Houston, where he led the Miami Tropics Nike travel team, averaging 18.3 points per game. Tropics coach Art Alvarez, who coached rising USF senior Jesus Verdejo (also from Puerto Rico) with the Tropics, said Heath has offered Belardo a scholarship and will be on hand in Starkville, Miss., this weekend to watch Belardo and the Tropics in another tournament.

"We're really looking forward to getting Coach Heath an opportunity to recruit Gaby, and we love what they've done with Jesus Verdejo," Alvarez said Tuesday.

Belardo transferred this season to Notre Dame Prep -- where USF point guard Chris Howard briefly attended the year before he came to Tampa -- and was at Montverde Academy the previous two seasons after coming to Florida from his native Puerto Rico. USF has two advantages with Belardo, first in geography, and as the only major-conference school competing for him right now. Alvarez said his other top suitors are Hofstra, Duquesne, Virginia Commonwealth, Florida International and SMU.

Notre Dame Prep, where Kansas State standout Michael Beasley played, already has two players bound for Big East schools, with one signed with Louisville and another bound for Syracuse. You can read more about Belardo at the Tropics' official site, including a story on his performance this weekend. Alvarez said Belardo will make an official visit to USF the weekend of May 2.