Photo by FIBA
R.J. Barrett, the nations No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2019, has decided to reclassify to the Class of 2018. Barrett made the announcement in a blog post with USA Today.
Barrett will be joining a class that is loaded with big time talent near the top of the rankings and he will push Marvin Bagley, the current No. 1 player in the Class of 2018, for the top spot.
Most fans didn’t know the name R.J. Barrett, but it didn’t take them long, following a dominating performance against the U-19 USA club coached by Wildcat Coach John Calipari. Barrett dropped 38 points, eliminating the Americans, before leading the Canadians to a gold medal a day later.
Barrett recognizes the talent he is joining in the Class of 2018, but the goal remains the same for the five-star forward.
“Obviously, I was ranked No. 1 in the 2019 class and now that I’m moving up to 2018 my goal won’t change,” Barrett wrote in his blog post. “I still want to be the best player in the class and the only way to make that happen is through hard work.”
Barrett will play his senior season for Montverde Academy in Montverde, FL. The schools he hears the most from are Arizona, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, and UCLA. Most feel that Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky have the best shot at landing the talented forward. Duke currently leads his 247 Sports Crystal Ball, but it will be interesting to see if his reclassification changes anything.
