This is a story that was first reported 2 days ago by the Colorado Springs Gazette, but Canyon Barry has supposedly signed his LOI today to become the first 2012 recruit for the Cougars. Canyon is the youngest son of NBA Hall-of-Famer Rick Barry. He will follow in the footsteps of his four half-brothers to become the 5th Barry son to play Division I basketball (3 of the other 4 went on to play in the NBA).
Canyon is a 6-5, 175 lbs wing player from Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs. According to his father and Coach Cremins, he is a bit of a project and is still growing into his frame. He will most likely redshirt his freshman year according to his dad.
More after the jump
Let's break down what this means for the Cougars. The signing sort of caught me off guard because Canyon is not among the more high profile recruits that the coaching staff has been looking at. However, just because this kid is not a 4-star recruit doesn't mean he's not going to help the Cougars (see: Goudelock, Drew for reference). Word is he was getting looks from Miami and Davidson before picking CofC. Coach Cremins mentored both Jon and Drew Barry at Georgia Tech.
First off there's the lineage. Rick Barry is one of the 50 greatest basketball players in history. Scooter, Jon, Brent and Drew were all solid collegiate and professional players. All were known for their shooting and versatility.
A competent shooter, Canyon hit a growth spurt in the past year and sprouted to nearly 6ft 5 inches tall, with room to grow. He has huge hands and feet and a wingspan wider than his fathers. Like most prospects who fill out late in their high school careers, Canyon has the skills of a guard but is starting to resemble more of a small forward in body size. The offense primarily comes from his outside shooting but he can also use his length to drive and finish at the rim. High basketball IQ and good instincts on defense are definitely there too. According to some scouting reports, he does have trouble against stronger opponents and his shot can waiver at times. Like his father, Canyon shoots his free throws underhand and makes them at about an 80% clip.
As for the intangibles, they're off the charts. Canyon is an A student, an Eagle Scout, state champion in tennis and hopes to study medicine. I think redshirting is the right call. This will give Canyon some time to develop his game and his physique and he should be coming around right when there's a spot open from Matt Sundberg's departure. Definitely a kid to keep an eye on as he progresses through his senior season. Welcome to CofC!
Some great links:
---A highlight reel from Canyon's junior season. Showcases many facets of his game
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjMCFbY5Mv8
---News story about the father and son underhand free throw technique
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ByEcHZjPgY
---Here's Brent Barry doing a Crip Walk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tawdmsHSYBY
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