Texas Southern gets a steal in Davon Barnes
It wasn’t a full 10 minutes after senior wing Davon Barnes Davon Barnes 6'5" | SF Collierville | 2021 State TN announced his pledge to Texas Southern University that he walked past me and asked “Are you surprised I pick…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIt wasn’t a full 10 minutes after senior wing Davon Barnes Davon Barnes 6'5" | SF Collierville | 2021 State TN announced his pledge to Texas Southern University that he walked past me and asked “Are you surprised I pick this school?”
My response was “No.”
Without hesitation, the 6-foot-5 wing put on the black Texas Southern University Nike hat with his family at his side.
Barnes was a late bloomer in the 2021 class, not in terms of development, but in terms of recognition. He started as a freshman under head coach Jesus Patino at White Station High School and impressed not only Patino but the rest of the staff. From day one, Barnes had high upside, with the full potential to be a productive player at the next level.
Barnes started for the next two seasons for the Spartans and had one of the best senior seasons in the state of Tennessee in 2020. Under a new coach in Scottie Robinson and a new system, Barnes helped Collierville reach the semifinals round of the TSSAA Class AAA Boys’ State Tournament.
Barnes averaged 18.2 points and 7.1 rebounds for a Dragons team that was mentally and physically tough.
The new commit for the Texas Southern Tigers has played in enough big games and has been coached by great basketball minds at the high school level to be prepared for the competition he’s going to see night in and night out at the Division 1 level.
“Playing under Patino my freshman year, it helped me mature, be more assertive, more confident, more poised in close situations,” Barnes said about his time at White Station. “Learning at an early stage helped me improve my game pretty quickly.”
Barnes isn’t the most athletic wing in the 2021 class, but he’s one of the most patient and smart players in the class. Barnes’ offensive game was special. He never tried to do anything out of his comfort zone. Barnes always seemed to get his points within the flow of the offense. He can make shots from 3-point range, has a deadly 17-footer and can take his defender off the dribble.
Barnes has a stout frame, so when he’s driving into the lane, he’s moving his defender with ease. Some may be surprised, but Barnes is a good defender. He communicates well and knows how to play defense without getting into foul trouble.
Once Texas Southern head coach Johnny Jones heard about Barnes from various high school coaches in the state and watched film on him, Jones quickly made Barnes a top priority. The Tigers are getting a kid that doesn’t seemed settled with his success at the high school level. Texas Southern is getting a kid that seems to know what it will take to have a successful college career.
The Tigers are getting kid that wants to be coached and wants to learn in a new environment. Most importantly, Texas Southern seems to be getting a steal.
“I’m going for all the goals. Freshman of the year, conference player of the year, first-team,” Barnes said. “I want to help the team get to the NCAA Tournament. I’m just ready to bring big things to the school.”