University of Louisville men's tennis coach Rex Ecarma has announced that James Bell has signed a National Letter-of-Intent to continue his playing career with the Cardinals.
 
"I am glad James Bell chose to join us," said Ecarma. "I believe his best tennis is ahead of him. He comes from California which is normally the best state in the country in tennis, so he has faced top-level competition.  This experience is helpful when you enter the ACC.  He was recruited by quite a few schools, but we connected personally right away and maintained a good relationship throughout the recruiting process."
 
The Fremont, Calif., native carries a four-star rating from tennisrecruiting.net and is ranked No. 140 nationally in the class of 2019. His career highlights include reaching the finals of the Willow Glen and Fremont Junior Championships and the consolation quarterfinals of the Northern California Sectional. He was also a qualifier for the USA Clay Court and Hardcourt (Kalamazoo) Supernationals and won two singles round in the National Level 2 tournament in Stockton, Calif., and the National Level 3 tournament in Sacramento, Calif.  
 
"I chose to play for Louisville because of the family environment that the team portrayed and most of all Coach Ecarma," said Bell. "He really believes in my game and that I could play at the highest level. I saw him as the best coach for me to develop my game and as a person overall.  The family atmosphere is unmatched and the support staff for tennis is amazing, overall just a great place."