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Duke Basketball: R.J. Barrett Makes Team Canada Debut

By Kevin Connelly

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 28: RJ Barrett #6 of Montverde Academy dunks during the 2018 McDonald's All American Game at Philips Arena on March 28, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 28: RJ Barrett #6 of Montverde Academy dunks during the 2018 McDonald's All American Game at Philips Arena on March 28, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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The future Duke Basketball star made his Team Canada Senior Team debut over the weekend and he put on a show for the world and college basketball to see.

R.J. Barrett is a star in the making.

He is the ESPN 100 Class of 2018 No. 1 overall player, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, and now he is the star of the Canadian Senior Basketball Team.

Barrett made his Senior Team debut against China over the weekend and if what the Canadian star put forth on Friday translates to Durham, Coach K and the rest of the Blue Devils will be thrilled with the player that they are getting.

R.J. Barrett scored 16 points and two assists in Canada’s 97-62 victory over China and noted about the difference in the pace of the game from high school and U17 and U18 games to the men’s game in his postgame press conference.

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The future Blue Devil followed up his debut with a better game on Sunday against the same China squad. Feeling more comfortable in his second game, Barrett dropped a team and game-high 21 points in a 108-72 rout.

NBA players join Barrett on Team Canada as Chris Boucher, who was released by the Golden State Warriors, and the former No. 1 overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft, Anthony Bennett, are also competing for Team Canada.

Flordia commit and Barrett’s high school teammate, Andrew Nembhard, is also on Team Canada as the Canadians are looking for the next stars of the game to compete for World Championships with the United States.

Barrett will play in two more games with Team Canada before heading down to Duke for summer workouts as the team prepares for its summer trip to Barrett’s home country of Canada where they will play three games in the Toronto area, a few miles away from R.J. Barrett’s hometown of Mississauga.

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