Eberhard plans to play basketball at UC Irvine

The on-again, off-again courtship of recent Corona del Mar High graduate Joe Eberhard by the UC Irvine men’s basketball program accelerated greatly Tuesday, when Anteaters coaches offered him a scholarship that he quickly accepted.

Eberhard, a second-team All-CIF Southern Section Division III-A performer as a senior at CdM last season, has been admitted to the school, a reversal from a previous denial, he said.

“I can’t ask for much more than what has happened,” said Eberhard, a 6-foot-6 small forward who averaged 15.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals last season.

He had originally planned to walk on at UCI.

But, after he was told he would not be admitted, he then planned to greyshirt at San Diego Mesa Community College next season and seek an opportunity at a Division I school.

When UCI finally offered a scholarship, Eberhard didn’t hesitate.

Corona del Mar Coach Ryan Schachter believes his former standout, who along with Brown-bound center Stefan Kaluz helped lead the Sea Kings to the section III-A title in 2006-07, will make an impact for the Anteaters.

“I think he’s going to do very well in the Big West [Conference],” Schachter said. “I think by his sophomore year, he’s going to be a big-time contributor for UCI. He’s that good and his game is developing. He has been competing with college guys all summer in the Say-No League and he has been holding his own.”

Eberhard is still recovering from a broken wrist sustained in July, but said he should be ready to play by the time practice begins in October.

— Barry Faulkner