Prospect Spotlight: Alphonso Barney (2018)
When the topic of Baltimore City high school basketball is brought up, Lake Clifton High School is at the top of the list in terms of having a history of producing high-level players. Will Barton, Josh Selby and Cleveland Melvin are just a few of the most recent players to go onto play at the highest level after starring at Lake Clifton.
The landscape in high school sports can change instantly with things such as injuries, transfers, etc. The same has happened in Baltimore City with Poly now sitting on the throne after winning the 3A state title. Lake Clifton sits in a new position as being a team who is being overlooked by many, but that can all change once the season officially begins with a few statement wins early on.
One player that the Lakers will rely heavily on will be senior forward Alphonso Barney. The 6’5 forward missed all of his junior season after fracturing three bones in his back late in his sophomore campaign. Suffering a catastrophic injury like that at such a young age will test a young man’s determination and love for the game, but Barney stayed the course, remained positive and worked his tail off every day so that he’d be ready to give it one last run with Lake Clifton.
“I went to therapy every day of the week,” Barney told PrepHoops. “After therapy, I’d go right to the gym with my dad and do more work to strengthen the muscles in my back and core. As I improved, we’d go to the court and get shots up and do things to get my foot speed back up to where it was.”
This won’t be the first time Barney is suiting up on the court. He played this past AAU season will Cecil Kirk. I watched him play in a few tournaments this summer and it was evident that his active style of play was still there.
Barney prides himself on his versatility on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he can mix it up and score efficiently from 15-18 feet, or put the ball on the ground and attack the rim. He’s also strong at running the floor and filling lanes, which is huge for any team that can count on their forward to run the floor on a consistent basis.
Defensively, his versatility can be on full display. Because of his size, he can guard bigger, stronger players while having the athleticism to hold his own against smaller, quicker players. It especially comes in handy when defending pick-and-rolls. Rebounding wise, Barney is active. Lake Clifton doesn’t have the greatest size, so they’ll depend heavily on his ability to get physical and box his match up out consistently.
Barney told Prep Hoops that schools have yet to reach out to him, but it’s safe to say the reason for that is his year and a half spent on the sidelines. He currently carries a 4.0 GPA and plans on majoring in Biology in college with hopes to become a doctor in the future.