Scottie Barnes led University to state titles in 2018 and 2019. Now he’s a top-5 pick
Scottie Barnes, who helped lead Davie’s NSU University School to back-to-back state championships in 2018 and 2019, is now a lottery pick.
The Toronto Raptors selected the forward with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft Thursday after he was the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year last season for the Florida State Seminoles.
Barnes, who’s a West Palm Beach native and graduated from Montverde after spending two years at NSU University, is the first lottery pick from South Florida since guard Brandon Knight went eighth in the 2011 NBA draft.
He’s also poised to be the second player from University’s back-to-back title teams to play in the NBA. Center Vernon Carey Jr. was a second-round pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2020 NBA draft and debuted in February.
Barnes quickly burst onto the scene as one of the best high school players in the country as a freshman at Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach. He earned Freshman All-American honors from MaxPreps and was a top-20 national recruit, according to ESPN, and then he transferred ahead of his sophomore year to join the Sharks. He teamed up with Carey — a fellow five-star prospect — and University rolled to the 2016 state championship. The Sharks earned an invitation to the High School Showcase and Barnes averaged 21.3 points and 9.7 rebounds to help them finish as runners-up.
As a junior, Barnes helped University get back to the state championship and finally got a chance to step out of Carey’s shadow. An injury kept Carey out of the state semifinals and championship, and Barnes finished the title game with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists in a blowout win.
After the season, Carey graduated and Barnes transferred to Montverde to team up with Cade Cunningham, who was the No. 1 overall selection by the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.
Barnes, who finished the 2020 recruiting cycle as the No. 7 prospect in the 247Sports.com composite rankings, landed at Florida State and quickly solidified himself as one of the best two-way players in the country. The Seminoles brought him off the bench, letting him serve as a defensive stopper and primary ballhandler, and was the ACC Sixth Man of the Year and a third-team all-conference selection. He was also an honorable mention All-American after averaging 10.3 points per game, 4.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 assists.
