RJ Barrett

Early life and career

Barrett was born in Toronto, Ontario, to Kesha Duhaney and former professional basketball player Rowan Barrett. As a young child in France, where his father played professionally, he developed an interest in basketball and played with a mini-hoop in his playroom. He started organized basketball in the 2005–06 season with the youth set-up of JDA Dijon Basket, attended a French school, and was taught English by his mother. His family settled in Mississauga, Ontario in 2008 when his father left professional basketball.

Barrett also played football, ran 100 metres, and did high jump. At age 12, after struggling in a game and coming home crying, he focused on basketball instead of football. He told his father he wanted to be an NBA All-Star and make the Basketball Hall of Fame, and sometimes trained with his godfather Steve Nash. Under his father's guidance, he became one of the best under-12 players in Ontario.

He attended Horizon Jeunesse in Mississauga, leading his school to a city title and being named MVP despite facing older opponents. Barrett also played for the REDA under-12 program on the AAU circuit. At age 12, he was identified by the Ontario Basketball Association as one of the best players in his age group and trained with the Canada Basketball junior academy. By age 15, he generally played point guard.

On August 3, 2014, he scored 37 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a win over Quebec at an under-15 provincial tournament. Through grades seven and eight, he attended École Secondaire Jeunes Sans Frontières in Brampton.

High school career

Barrett started high school at St. Marcellinus Secondary School in Mississauga, playing AAU ball for the Brampton Warriors under the REDA program. In October 2014, he dropped 27 points against Bill Crothers Secondary School, prompting the Canadian site North Pole Hoops to call him "special" even though he was just a freshman. The following February, he took MVP honors at the Guy Vetrie Memorial tournament by scoring 41 points and hitting the game-winner for REDA in a 74-72 victory over BTB Academy.

In April, he was selected for the ROPSSAA all-star game, where he was named the league’s top prospect, and later that month he put up a game-high 25 points in the Futures Game at the BioSteel All-Canadian Basketball Game. After touring elite prep schools in the U.S., Barrett announced in September 2015 that he would leave St. Marcellinus, transferring to Montverde Academy in Florida to elevate his game, though he called the adjustment rough. In December, he led Montverde with 18 points in a nationally televised matchup against Huntington Prep, then erupted for 31 points in a loss to Chino Hills High School at the City of Palms Classic quarterfinal.

Montverde Academy (2015–2018)

On April 15, 2016, he posted 22 points and eight rebounds at the Jordan Brand Classic International Game, earning MVP. He finished the season as Montverde’s leading scorer and was named to the MaxPreps Freshman All-American First Team. In his junior year, Barrett was named to the USA Today High School Sports All-USA Preseason Team and the Naismith Prep Player of the Year watch list. He led Montverde to a City of Palms Classic title in December 2016, scoring a team-best 15 points in the finals against Memphis East High School and receiving tournament MVP honors.

On January 16, 2017, he recorded 21 points in a 73-67 win over Bishop Montgomery High School to help his team win the Spalding Hoophall Classic. In February, he garnered MVP accolades at Basketball Without Borders during NBA All-Star Weekend. He joined the World Select Team at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit in April, posting nine points and two steals in 20 minutes. Barrett finished the season averaging 22 points and 7 rebounds per game in high school, being tabbed National Sophomore of the Year by MaxPreps and making the Naismith All-American Third Team.

On July 31, 2017, Barrett reclassified to the 2018 class because he believed he was "ready to move up and to be in college a year earlier." Entering the 2017–18 season, he was named to the USA Today High School Sports All-USA Preseason Team. In his season opener on November 28, 2017, Barrett led Montverde, ranked the No. 1 team in the nation by MaxPreps, with 29 points in a 97-55 win over The Rock School. On January 11, 2018, in a nationally televised match-up with Orlando Christian Prep, he scored 24 points.

Barrett posted 22 points and 10 rebounds on January 15 to defeat Mater Dei High School at the Spalding Hoophall Classic. On March 23, he played in the Signature All-Canadian Showcase, which featured 24 top Canadian prospects. Later in the month, Barrett took part in the 2018 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, where he scored 26 points. In March 2018, Barrett was awarded the Morgan Wooten National Player of the Year award for "displaying outstanding character, showing leadership and embodying the values of a student athlete."

One of the ways Barrett exhibited these attributes was by being involved in the Basketball Buddies Program of Montverde Academy, where he mentored young basketball athletes with their skills and advised them on how to manage their academics. In the 2017–18 season, he led the undefeated Montverde team to the Geico National boys’ basketball championship, recording 25 points and 15 rebounds in the championship game. Barrett scored a game-high 20 points to go along with nine rebounds, six assists and five steals at the 2018 Nike Hoop Summit and was named MVP.

Recruiting

While attending St. Marcellinus Secondary School, Barrett was tabbed as the top Canadian prospect in the 2019 class. He was rated as a five-star recruit and ranked the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2018.

He received scholarship offers from several major universities including Arizona, Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, UCLA, and USC, according to ESPN. On August 16, 2017, Barrett narrowed down to five schools: Duke, Arizona, Oregon, Kentucky, and Michigan. On November 10, 2017, he announced that he would be attending Duke for the 2018–2019 season.

National team career

With the Canadian national under-19 team, Barrett was named MVP at the 2017 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup after leading his team to a gold medal. He debuted for the senior team during qualification for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.