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The Kentucky Wildcats have made a rare move on the recruiting trail: John Calipari just offered a prospect two years before he’ll be on a college campus.
It came in the form of Scott Barnes, who scored the offer this past weekend during the first Nike EYBL session, according to Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader.
One of the top players in the Class of 2020, Barnes already holds offers from the Kansas Jayhawks, Florida Gators, Oregon Ducks and Syracuse Orange among others. The Duke Blue Devils have also been showing interest.
The 6-7, 175-pound forward from Florida is ranked seventh overall in 2018 in addition to being the second best small forward. ESPN actually has him ranked fifth overall and the second-best power forward.
Barnes actually played alongside Vernon Carey Jr. last weekend and still managed to lead the team in scoring at 19.2 points per game to go with 6.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He plays with a tremendous motor that’s drawn comparisons to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
Again, it’s very rare for Calipari to offer scholarships to recruits that are two classes away from being in college, so it’s clear he thinks Barnes is a very special prospect.
Here are some highlights of Barnes from the recent Nike EYBL session in Dallas:
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