R.J. Barrett
(AP Photo/Chris Seward)

R.J. Barrett’s high school coach, Kevin Boyle, had high praise for the New York Knicks target ahead of June’s NBA draft.

Geoffrey Campbell

Not surprisingly, head coach of the high school basketball powerhouse Montverde Academy (FL) Kevin Boyle likes his former guard R.J. Barrett and his future potential as an NBA star. The projected number three overall pick is on the New York Knicks’ radar.

“If R.J. Barrett is available and ends up going to the Knicks, I think you could make a good case that you got arguably the best player,” Boyle told Adam Zagoria of Forbes. “Without question, you could make the argument for Zion [Williamson] and almost everyone does. And the issue is everybody makes it like it’s automatic. But I think R.J. has a very good argument that he was as good in college and that he’ll be as good in the pros.”

Boyle’s resume regarding NBA talent is quite impressive. Players like, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and D’Angelo Russell all played for Boyle in high school. For his part, Barrett led the Eagles to a 35-0 record, winning the National Player of the Year award as well as the GEICO High School Nationals.

The coach went on to mention Barrett’s history as the number one player in the nation coming out high school, as well as accolades such as Duke’s all-time leading freshman scorer in school history. Boyle also credited Barrett’s maturity, playing and sharing the spotlight with teammate Zion Williamson. Boyle claimed that other players would’ve “would’ve been upset, bitched and been jealous,” but not Barrett.

The early news on Barrett has been positive. His athleticism and offensive skill set are very visible on tape, yet his temperament and likeability off the court might be what puts him over the top. Just recently Barrett told Shams Charania of The Athletic that he needs to improve on everything. With a good head on his shoulder and strong effort, the sky’s the limit for the former Duke star.

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