All Ohio Red finally removed the zero from the win column on Saturday evening but their Friday night contest was highly contested as well. I thought Barber impressed on both ends of the court, with his defensive activity standing out. Active hands defensively and a pest on the ball, Barber makes it difficult for bigger guards to be physical with him because of his ball pressure. Combine that with a high feel for the game and the ability to set his teammates up, Barber has a very old-school style of play. After missing the early stages of the spring with an injury, it was nice to see Barber back on the court making an impact. Few players in Ohio I enjoy watching more than Barber.

The leader of Richmond Heights, Barber continues his unbeaten postseason streak for Richmond Heights. Doing it with Dorian Jones Dorian Jones 6'4" | SG Richmond Heights | 2025 State #61 Nation OH fouled out for the final 5 minutes and change, Barber made key play after key play for a composed Richmond Heights squad that made shots and took care of the basketball. Barber had some huge drives and buckets including an and-1 layup where he did a nice job creating contact. Six assists to just three turnovers also showed that Barber was helping Richmond Heights get good shots and he played all 32 minutes of the contest. This was a true test for the Spartans and they passed as Russia gave them a variety of challenges.

Not many people I’m picking over De’Erick Barber De’Erick Barber 5'11" | PG Richmond Heights | 2025 State #268 Nation OH to be the point guard for my team. He is a savant in the game. Every game I’ve ever seen him play, especially this weekend, he controls the game. He wants to play fast, he can, he wants to play slow, he can. If I was his coach I’d have complete trust with the ball in his hands. He is always in control of himself and the game. He is such a shifty player with an incredible change of pace. He just kind of bounces from spot to spot and always sees the entire floor. He is a great passer that always makes the right play and hits the wide-open guy. Very smooth game. Great team leader as well. So he isn’t just a floor general but he is a team general as well.

A back-to-back state champion, Barber is a winner from the point guard position. Doing all the little things, Barber is an elite passer, a tough defender and invaluable to whatever team he plays on. His size will be a question until he produces at whatever college level he chooses, but I find it hard to believe he won’t eventually make a winning impact at the college level, which is what programs are looking for in high school recruits.

One of my favorite players to watch in the 2025 class, Barber is a crucial piece to his team. The type of point guard you can’t sub off the court, Barber has tremendous leadership skills and makes whatever team he is on tick. In the four games Barber had 13 assists to just 5 turnovers and makes an impact defensively despite his size limitations. Barber is also a low volume scorer but when he decides to shoot he’s pretty efficient, shooting 7/15 from the field and 3/5 from 3-point range. I think Barber has the ability to play high major basketball but should also be a priority for mid major programs across the region.