Bellevue point guard Aaron Bright has committed to play for the Stanford Cardinal in 2010.

Bright, the KingCo 2A/3A and Bellevue Reporter Most Valuable Player last season, confirmed today that he would be leaving the state and playing for coach Johnny Dawkins.

“When I went down there, it felt like it was a great place to me,” Bright said. “With the basketball program and the academics, I felt it was a win-win.”

Bright said he’d also been recruited by Washington State, Virginia and the entire West Coast Conference, but it was the allure of a Stanford education that sold him.

“I just felt like there is going to be a day where I can’t play basketball anymore, and if I have that Stanford degree, the sky is the limit for what I can accomplish outside the basketball court,” he said.

Bright, who averaged 16.7 points as a sophomore in 2008, moved into a new role this past season, transitioning into a true point guard in coach Chris O’Connor’s offense. He helped lead the Wolverines to a 26-3 record and a third-place finish at the 3A state tournament, the highest finish in school history.

“The feedback I was given by coach O’Connor and my AAU coaches was the mentality I needed to have at the next level,” Bright said. “Once I was able to make that transition to point guard, my recruitment skyrocketed.”

Bright, who said he “needs the sunshine,” mentioned he’s the only point guard Dawkins is recruiting in his class.

“He’s really looking forward to our class coming in and making an impact right off the bat,” Bright said.

He also said he’s looking forward to playing next season without the lingering questions about where he’ll play in college.

“It’s a big load off my back now,” Bright said. “I’m just 100 percent focused on high school, the team and enjoying my senior year.”

Joel Willits can be reached at 425.453.5045.