Ball Durham
Fansided

Duke Basketball: Season preview for star freshman R.J. Barrett

By Kevin Connelly

SPRINGFIELD, MA - JANUARY 15: R.J. Barrett #5 of Montverde Academy dribbles during a game against Mater Dei High School during the 2018 Spalding Hoophall Classic at Blake Arena at Springfield College on January 15, 2018 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
SPRINGFIELD, MA - JANUARY 15: R.J. Barrett #5 of Montverde Academy dribbles during a game against Mater Dei High School during the 2018 Spalding Hoophall Classic at Blake Arena at Springfield College on January 15, 2018 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Duke Basketball freshman are going to be huge parts of this team but one might stand above the rest, Canada native R.J. Barrett.

It’s tough to have a more successful high school basketball career than R.J. Barrett, but he’s hoping that success will translate over to the college game as he is set to begin in Duke career.

The current Duke Basketball freshman won just about every individual and team award possible while at Monteverde Academy.

More from Ball Durham

Barrett enters Duke as the top rated recruit by both ESPN and 247 Sports, but the new face of Canadian Basketball knows that none of that matters once he steps onto the court.

On the court, Barrett can do it all, the only part of his game that is in question is his consistency to make the outside shot.

As point guard Tre Jones was sidelined with an injury during the Canada Tour, Barrett assumed the point guard duties and he thrived in every facet. Barrett was fast up and down the floor and he showed that he is an elite passer and a playmaker.

With Jones healthy, Duke is most likely going to play position less basketball at shooting guard and small forward, but expect a rotation between Barrett and Cam Reddish in those two slots as both freshman figure to be in the starting lineup.

R.J. Barrett very well might be the best player on the floor in every Duke game this season and for the Blue Devils to be successful, they will need Barrett to live up to the hype and be the excellent player that everyone expects him to be.

Barrett will finally get on the floor on November 6 as the Duke Blue Devils take on the Kentucky Wildcats in the State Farm Champions Classic from the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana at approximately 9:30 pm ET.

Home/Duke Basketball