Transferring into a high-school program as a senior can be a bumpy transition sometimes.
But adding Charles Barnes Jr. to the basketball mix at Marist was as seamless as could be.
“A lot of our players grew up with him,” RedHawks coach Brian Hynes said. “He plays AAU with Stephen (Brown) and his best friend is Akir Finley.”
“I did know most of those guys,” Barnes said. “… They were all very receptive and welcoming.”
The addition of Barnes to a veteran mix was just what Marist needed to put together the greatest season in program history. After winning their first sectional in 45 years, the RedHawks won their first state trophy by knocking off Benet 44-28 to win the Class 4A title.
For leading the way as Marist reached new heights, Barnes is the Southwest Regional Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
The 6-5 forward averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals as the RedHawks went 33-5. He shot 59% from the floor, 41% from 3-point range and 74% from the foul line.
Barnes knew the season could be special even before it began.
“I definitely did, starting in summer league,” he said. “I felt like we had a chance to make a run. I thought we’d get down there (to state).”
Marist had a variety of offensive options, including fellow seniors Brown, Adoni Vassilakis and Karson Thomas along with junior Kendall Meyers.
But Barnes delivered game in and game out.
“He was able to score from so many different ways,” Hynes said. “There were some nights we needed 25 (points) out of him, some nights we needed 10. … He could score from the block, the perimeter, off the bounce.”
Barnes was one of Illinois’ elite seniors, earning first-team all-state honors from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and Illinois Media. But he didn’t have a college home until after the high-school season was over.
Fortunately, the stars aligned. He’s headed to UNC GGreensboro, which is retooling after hiring former UAB and Stanford coach Jerod Haase on March 18.
“UNC Greensboro’s another blessing, an opportunity that came along at the right time,” Barnes said. “I was able to sit down with my family and discuss my options, and that turned out to be the best one.”
Haase’s focus on the “student” component of student-athlete — not surprising for someone who had worked at Stanford — was a big selling point for Barnes.
“He’s a high academic coach,” Barnes said. “I have a 4.2 GPA. That piece of the puzzle fit, especially for my parents.”
Getting a quality education is a big part of the plan, because, as Barnes said, “the basketball is going to stop bouncing (eventually).”
Hynes sees Greensboro as a good fit for his star.
“With the (college) transfer portal, nobody talks about education anymore,” Hynes said. “Chuck isn’t the transfer/NIL type of player. He wants to get an education and graduate and get a master’s degree.”
And if he can play Division I basketball at the same time, so much the better.