Kansas freshman Luke Barnett is already forcing his way into the conversation in Lawrence.
The former Mater Dei High School standout arrived at Kansas with a reputation as a shooter, and that part of his game is now getting the kind of attention that turns a promising freshman into an early-season factor. Head coach Bill Self already labeled Barnett one of the "nicest surprises" on the roster a couple of months ago, and the buzz around him hasn’t slowed down as the regular season approaches.
CBS Sports analyst Jon Rothstein added to that momentum in a recent tweet, relaying what he said were updates from people closely connected to the program:
“Well embedded moles in Lawrence continue to rave about Kansas freshman Luke Barnett.Going to be a factor in the Jayhawks' rotation because of his shooting ability.A name to monitor in the Big 12.”
That lines up with the chatter surrounding Barnett all offseason. Within the program, there’s a growing belief that he may already be Kansas’ best spot-up shooter.
Barnett’s résumé out of high school was strong enough on its own. He was ranked No. 125 nationally by 247 Sports and came in as a consensus 4-star prospect. At Mater Dei, he put together a huge career, including a 55-point game in a tournament as a junior and the school’s all-time scoring record with 2,244 points over four years.
What makes him more interesting now is how much more complete his game appears to be since he got to campus. Kansas’ staff has praised his defensive improvement and his ball-handling, two areas that can help him stick in the rotation even with so many wings in the mix.
That rotation is crowded, and the backcourt has its own questions, especially from long range. Melvin Council Jr. brings a major boost to the guard room, but his 3-point shooting is below average. Freshmen Tyran Stokes and Taylen Kinney also have not yet shown their outside shooting at the college level.
That’s where Barnett can carve out real value. He may not need a huge workload to matter. A couple of made threes in the right stretch can change a game in a hurry, and that kind of skill is exactly what Kansas could use.
With so many mouths to feed on the wings, nothing is handed out at Kansas. Still, the confidence Self has shown in Barnett suggests he’ll have a chance early. At this point, he looks like a real breakout candidate and a player worth tracking closely.
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For a program that has spent too long waiting for proof it could consistently control a game on that side of the ball, the timing mattered almost as much as the result. The shutout offered a welcome boost before Big 12 play, and it also carried a little history with it, giving Kansas a long-awaited reminder that this defense can still deliver something fans had not seen in years. [Read more 🡒]