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Syracuse University and Smithtown West High School (N.Y.) both broke into the Class of 2016 earlier this week.

Joe Lombardi broke the news earlier this week on our LaxLessons.com special coverage section, Lacrosse Insider, that faceoff specialist Danny Varello will be following his brother Joe’s path to Division I lacrosse.

Joe Varello, a standout for Smithtown West this past season, will be continuing his lacrosse career at Navy.

Danny served as Joe’s backup on the Bulls’ varsity squad as a freshman this past spring. He then went on to have a breakout summer, attending both Top 205 Rising Sophomores and Battle of the Hot Beds, where he was selected as an all-star.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Varello, a scrappy and tough player, possesses tremendous hand speed and technique in the faceoff X.

Varello, a righty, played on Team Smithtown West this summer aparticipated in the Under Armor Long Island tryout, Top 205 and Battle of the Hotbeds.

Now, here’s a Q&A with Dan on his commitment.

What were the main factors in your decision?
Syracuse was my dream school ever since I was a kid. Between the academic and lacrosse tradition, it is a great fit for me.

Another strong factor was that Syracuse is close to home. (Syracuse Associate Head) Coach (Lelan) Rogers did a great job on the campus tour and showed me everything there was to know about the university.

Something else that was appealing to me is that the local community and the student body of Syracuse are both very supportive of the lacrosse program.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I was strongly considering Michigan and Ohio State, in addition to UNC. I visited Ohio State.

What area of your game do you need to work on?
I need to improve on my speed after the faceoff, whether I have the ball or not.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
I was introduced to lacrosse by my dad (Joe Varello) and soon after kindergarten he placed me in the youth program at Smithtown with Shane Kielmeyer as my  coach. I play football and I have wrestled.

Any final thoughts?
I want to thank my youth coach, Shane Kielmeyer for guiding me through the game my whole life. I would like to thank my current coach, (Smithtown West varsity coach Bob) Moltisanti (Jr.) for always being positive and for helping me throughout the process.

I would also like to thank my faceoff trainer, Matt Schomburg, for literally teaching me everything I know about facing off and for supporting me throughout the process.

And lastly, I would like to thank my brother, Josephm for always spending the time to help me improve and for pushing me and showing me the importance of hard work. He’s a great role model.