The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JUNE/JULY 2021 THE WOLVERINE 25 2021 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE Chicago-area trainer Eddie Denard was also quick to compliment Barnes' versatility. Denard works with sev- eral college and NBA players and had Barnes running with pros during the offseason. That experience allowed him to really develop and blossom into a player ready for the spotlight. "His versatility will allow him to play multiple spots on the court," Denard said. "His ability to handle the ball, guard bigs and wings, and move his feet will allow him to be the most versatile guy on the team. I see him fitting in really well from day one. "To be honest, I think he's his own guy. I don't even want to put a name on him [as a comparison] because he's Isaiah Barnes. Pretty soon, peo- ple are going to realize there is no one else like him that has as much work ethic and charisma to get better. "He's also very coachable. He lis- tens. He makes adjustments in his game. He's open minded to construc- tive criticism from a coach. He's just an overall great person. He's very lik- able. He'll jell well with those other freshmen that are studs also." As mentioned, Barnes played an integral part in bringing the 2021 class together. He worked hard to help Howard lure more top talent to Ann Arbor and was thrilled when the Wolverines finished with arguably the best recruiting class in America. Rivals.com, ESPN and Sports Illus- trated rank it No. 1 nationally, while 247Sports lists it No. 2. Now, Barnes is ready to get to work with his future teammates and continue to help make Michigan a national title contender. "Everybody that is committed to Michigan plays fast and plays hard," Barnes said. "They're dogs. You can tell Coach Howard likes to recruit toughness, and all of these guys are tough. I feel like we're all going to complement each other really well. "I definitely see a national champi- onship. We have the No. 1 recruiting class and with the guys already there, we're going to be tough to beat." As for Barnes himself, the sky is the limit. "Obviously, he's an explosive ath- lete," Denard said. "He's starting to be a lot more physical. You don't see a lot of high school kids bumping guys and dunking on them. "His ability to create his own score has improved tremendously. He's added step backs to his game and different moves, which shows he can be an elite scorer at the next level. To me, his ceiling has not been reached yet. He has room to grow, but he's also one of the top 20-30 players in the country." ❏ Barnes on Howard "With him being from Chicago, that connection is already there. When we talked, it was like we already knew each other forever." Barnes was the first in U-M's 2021 recruit- ing class to commit, pulling the trigger June 24, 2020. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND