Cincy, LSU, Memphis, Others Like La. Guard
Matthew Barrow, Jr., a lanky 6-foot-4, 175-pound shooting guard from Southern
Lab High School in Baton Rouge, La., had a spectacular junior season. The
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2002-03 school year saw Barrow earn MVP honors while leading his high school to
a state championship. His outstanding play has attracted the attention of
colleges throughout the South.
Practically every Division I institution in the state has been all over Barrow.
LSU, New Orleans, Tulane, as well as SWAC schools such as Southern and
Grambling have touched base with Barrow. But high-major schools outside the
state have shown tremendous interest as well. Miami (FL), Cincinnati,
Mississippi State, Memphis, and St. John's are some of the other colleges who
have called to inquire. At this point, Barrow is completely wide open.
"He hasn't expressed to me if he's leaning one way or another yet," said
Southern Lab head coach Joel Hawkins. "So he's looking at all of them."
This past season for Southern Lab, Barrow averaged 23 points a contest, leading
the team. His game-high 19 points in the state championship game helped
Southern Lab earn its ninth state title in 11 seasons. He was named first team
All-State.
Barrow is a tremendous shooter who seemingly has unlimited range on his
jumpshot. He is adept at spotting up on the perimeter or coming off of
screens, but can also create off the dribble and drive to the basket. While he
didn't get much of a chance to play the point with an experienced senior Steve
Harrell running the show, Barrow is an underrated floor leader according to
Hawkins.
"He can shoot the ball as well as anyone," said Hawkins. "But he can handle
the ball really well and he can pass it too. He's a big guard who can see over
people."
With a slim frame, Barrow has been working on building strength but could
obviously stand to get stronger. And while he's shown improvement in on the
defensive end, Hawkins feels his star shooting guard needs to improve on his
athleticism.
"He needs to work on his speed," said Hawkins. "He's not as quick as he needs
to be."
Barrow is working on getting fully qualified. His GPA currently stands at 2.3
and his initial attempt at the ACT yielded a 15. He will be taking the ACT
again in August to improve his score.
Barrow played with the Louisiana Dream Team AAU squad during the Kingwood
Classic, and will be participating in events such as the Great American
Shootout in Denton, Tex. and the adidas Big Time in Las Vegas this summer. He
will be attending Nike camp in Indianapolis in early July.
Jed Tai is a senior writer with Hoopville.com