One and Doners in the Class of 2010 – Harrison Barnes

There are many talented players in next season’s recruiting class. In this series, I will give a closer look at some of the best players who are probably one year and done college players in the Class of 2010.

Harrison Barnes is the #2 ranked player by Rivals.com and ranked #1 by Scout.com in the 2010 recruiting class.   Barnes is listed anywhere from 6′6 to 6′8 and 209lbs and is the #1 ranked small forward in his class. Amazingly gifted with long arms giving him a 7 ft+ wingspan, Barnes excels at many of the necessary tools to be a superstar at the college and probable NBA levels. He has been on a steep learning curve since switching from post player to a wing, during his sophomore season. The flexibility and ease of how quickly he learned the new position bodes him well as he adds muscle to his lean frame.

Hailing from Iowa, Barnes can score from a variety of ways and from anywhere on the court. He recently averaged over 31 ppg during the Nike Global Challenge, even though his team won only one game. He shows amazing poise for a player of his young age by being a two way player, regularly guarding the opposing team’s best player. He has excellent shooting form and as a result, shoots a high percentage from the field and FT line.

Barnes averaged 19.7 points and 8.8 rebounds as a junior, leading Ames HS to a perfect 26-0 record and Iowa State 4A Championship.

Because of his length and ability to shoot over smaller defenders , Barnes has the look of a Kevin Durant clone at the college level. Many NBA experts have him pegged as a Luol Deng clone or possibly Ray Allen, if his shooting continues to improve. Virtually every major NCAA school has interest like Duke, Kansas, Florida, UNC, Oklahoma, and UCLA.