Four Schools Following Barnes

With teammate DJ White headlining the Les Schwab Invitational, it would be easy to assume that the future Indiana Hoosier would garner all of the attention at the Portland, Oregon event. That hasn’t been the case. Not even on the Hillcrest (AL) team. Sophomore guard William Barnes has been the most consistent player for the Patriots at the event and that consistency has caught the eye of a handful of major programs.

Barnes, a 6-foot-1, 175 pound combo guard from the class of 2006, is playing some noteworthy basketball despite Hillcrest’s (10-4) two disappointing losses. Barnes put up 19 points in the first round and a hard fought 11 points against a guard-laden Jefferson team in the second round.

The mature 15 year old said he, along with his team, is upset with their showing in the Pacific Northwest.

“We’re disappointed of course. We just didn’t get it done on defense,” Barnes said. “I can’t make excuses. We just aren’t playing good basketball.”

While he is putting up some respectable scoring numbers, he, to his own admission, is turning the ball over more than he’d like to. The combo guard is averaging 5.5 errors a contest. Barnes is getting used to a position change.

“I started at the point last year but coach moved me out to the wing this year and I’m trying to do my thing out there. To tell you the truth, I’m a lot more comfortable at the two. But that is mostly in the half court because when we get out on the break, the ball is usually in my hands,” Barnes said.

His play, at any position, is worthy of high major consideration. At his age, he already a vocal leader and has a good basketball IQ.

Barnes said he has heard from the likes of St. Johns, Indiana, Mississippi State and Alabama already. Former Hillcrest head coach Thad Fitzpatrick is now an assistant at Indiana and that, as expected, holds a strong favor to Barnes. The guard said he spends half of the summer in Indiana, playing with the Indiana Heat, as well.

After the LSI and the Christmas break, Hillcrest will play at the prestigious Slam Dunk to the Beach in Delaware.