Barnes finalized his college plans this week with a commitment to Rivier University. One of the region’s most dynamic scorers with the ball in his hands, Barnes has a knack for getting to his spots off the bounce. He’s a good athlete that plays bigger than his size and has proven capable of scoring over and through bigger defenders around the rim. He’s got a full bag of tricks as a finisher, can really create space with his dribble, and has become a consistent and reliable shooter from behind the arc. He’s a disruptive on-ball defender with quick hands that moves really well laterally and can keep the ball in front of him. The GNAC is a great landing spot for him and I’d expect that he’ll be a big piece to what Rivier does going forward as not many first year guards are as impact ready as he is.

Barnes and his Waltham teammates head to Worcester to take on the undefeated, reigning state champions at North. A crafty lead guard, Barnes does a great job of getting into the lane off the bounce and finding teammates for open 3’s. He’s a big time scorer that has a full bag of tricks as a finisher around the rim. He’s the type of guard that can get 25+ on any given night and he doesn’t shy away in the big moments. Defensively, he shows his hands while guarding the ball and generates plenty of steals as an off-ball defender. He’ll have to be on his A-game is Waltham is going to pull the upset.