The Starting Five is a series of conversations with five elite Canadian basketball players who are competing at the prep school, U Sports, NCAA and NBA level. Every other week, a Canadian player will share his or her personal perspective on the game and the challenges they face both on and off the court.
R.J. Barrett is playing prep basketball at Montverde Academy in Florida where, prior to the holiday break, the 16-year-old Mississauga, Ont., native was named tournament MVP after leading his school to victory at the prestigious City of Palms Classic tournament.
It’s no surprise that Barrett outshone senior players bound for major NCAA programs and projected NBA lottery picks. The sophomore sensation is already ranked the top recruit in North America for the Class of 2019.
Despite this, Barrett doesn’t carry himself like the next big thing. It’s quite the opposite, likely because basketball is in his blood. His father, Rowan Barrett, played on the Canadian national team alongside Steve Nash and in the NCAA at St. John’s University. Today, the elder Barrett is the assistant general manager and executive vice-president of the senior men's program for Canada Basketball.
As an honour roll student, Barrett is more focused on his immediate schooling than the universities knocking at his door. He’s had offers from top Division 1 programs like Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, Arizona, Indiana, Oregon, Michigan, and Texas.
In his entry for the Starting Five, Barrett talks about staying grounded while the big NCAA schools are calling and trying to live up to the standard set by his father.
On his humble demeanour
“My coach is always telling me I’m not doing enough. I go up against really good guys in practice every day - Marcus [Carr] is going to Pitt. Sean [Mobley] is going to VCU. Leaky [Rechon Black] is going to UNC. So just going up against those guys every day keeps me grounded and I got to keep pushing. Yeah, there are some moments where I’m like ‘Wow, I’m pretty good,’ but those other moments in practice remind me that I’ve got to keep working.”
On realizing ‘godfather Steve’ was NBA star Steve Nash
“It clicked when I hit high school and all the kids were coming up to me and asking me if I knew him. It was like, ‘Yeah.” It even gave me some cool points, so it was pretty cool. Growing up with a godfather like him is pretty amazing, and a lot of kids wish they had that opportunity. Whenever I need to ask him anything about the game, I shoot a quick text and he always responds with some good advice. He told me that making it to the NBA is going to be hard and how he set goals for himself and was always the hardest worker.”
On motivation
“I try to think of myself as the underdog. Even though I am working, there’s somebody else working just as hard right now, and I can’t let them outwork me. I try to set little goals for myself. Last year, it was playing in the Jordan Brand Classic. I’ve been dreaming about that since I was 11. I sat down with my dad and we made goals and that was one we put on the board. This year it’s winning Dick’s National Championship.”
On playing on Canada’s Under-17 team
“It was crazy - just the level of play, trying to adjust to the speed of the game, was an amazing experience. We have a pretty talented team, so it will be fun to see what happens this summer (at the FIBA Under-19 world championships in Cairo).”
On competing against USA Basketball
“Last summer, when I played with the Canadian Under-16 team, we almost beat the U.S. and this summer the Under-18 team almost beat them, so we’re not scared anymore. We’re getting closer. There are a lot of good guys coming out of Canada and we can see that we can play with them. I really think guys like Andrew Wiggins and Tyler Ennis really started it off for this generation, and everyone is looking up to them. Wiggins was a number one draft pick and I feel I can be that too. They really showed us that there is a way, that you can make it.”
On his father
“I see that jersey [Rowan's framed Canada jersey hanging in the hallway at the family home] on the wall and walk by it every day. He’s done so much and I haven’t done anything yet. I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s not my jersey, that’s his.’ He’s a big inspiration, so I’m trying to get to a place where my jersey is framed like that on the wall. I mean, he had a little bounce back in the day, at least that’s what everyone tells me, but when I was younger watching him when he was playing, all he would do is shoot! So I really don’t know when he says he could get his head at the rim. I never really believe it.”