Canadian R.J. Barrett shines in Duke Canada Tour

Julian McKenzie

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Canadian R.J. Barrett shines in Duke Canada Tour image

LAVAL - The Place Bell PA announcer’s voice boomed as he spoke R.J. Barrett’s name into the mic, sending the 10,000-plus in attendance in a frenzy. The teenager and the rest of the Duke Blue Devils teammates were in town for an exhibition match against McGill University, marking the final stop of their Duke Canada Tour.

The end result of the game, a 103-58 Duke win, didn’t matter. The fans in attendance clearly wanted to see Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski patrol the sidelines, viral sensation Zion Williamson crush dunks and Barrett, an integral piece of the future of Canadian basketball, in white and blue Duke colours.

Naturally, Barrett and Williamson drew the most fanfare from the crowd in Sunday’s win, drawing oohs and ahhs at every dunk and no-look pass. Barrett scored 23 points, to go along with 10 assists and five rebounds in the exhibition victory, punctuated by an emphatic fourth quarter dunk. Not to be outdone, the larger-than-life Williamson scored 36 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

 

 

Barrett will get used to having thousands of fans cheering him as his career continues, surely with more than 10,000 in attendance. But on Sunday, the reaction from the Quebecois, pro-Duke crowd took him by surprise.

“I wasn’t expecting that big of a cheer since I’m not from [Quebec],” the teenager said. “I feel like, representing Canada, we push our guys and I’m one of those guys.”

So, let’s make one thing clear. R.J. Barrett is more than just “one of those guys”.

MORE: R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson shine in Duke debut

He’s an 18-year-old Canadian phenom who gave Canada its first gold medal in any competition when he led his country to a U-19 FIBA World Cup title last summer, while also winning MVP honours. When it came time for Barrett to choose what university he’d attend, TSN aired it nationwide. His basketball familial lineage is also well-documented. His father, Rowan, played for Canada at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and has a two-time NBA MVP in Steve Nash as his godfather.

There’s a lot riding on the next big thing in Canada basketball, and the hype train has already started. Not just on him, but for the rest of his teammates.

There’s a great deal of attention for both Barrett and his superstar teammate, Zion Williamson, a six-foot-seven-inch, 285 pound behemoth, who devours his opponents in the paint while also being able to move the ball. Since high school, the forward has been gawked over for his on-court abilities and physical presence.

If Williamson were to play in the NBA today, in terms of weight, he would be the second heaviest player in the league behind Los Angeles Clippers forward Boban Marjanovic. 

“[Barrett and I have] been through the same thing, as being a top player,” Williamson said. “People trying to get at us. We both just want to make each other better. It’s not even one of those forced bonds. It’s one of those bonds that’s naturally there for us.”

The two are roommates off the floor, trying to figure out what’s good to watch on Netflix while also discovering their new college surroundings. They also work in tandem on the floor, with Barrett feeding Williamson alley-oop passes that end up on highlight reels on social media. The two share a pre-game handshake, and are often the first ones to greet each other after the other completes an amazing play.

“We’re always together,” Barrett said. “He’s a cool dude. Just being able to play with him, he’s very easy to play with as you can see so he’s a lot of fun.”

The duo have caught the attention of the Montreal basketball community all weekend.

Earlier in the week, some estimated between the range of 5,000-8,000 fans would be in attendance for Sunday’s game. By Saturday afternoon, there were slightly over 200 tickets left. Then, there were less than 50. And those were soon gone. Over 200 fans packed the Donald G. Love Competition Hall at McGill Saturday afternoon, just to see the team practice.

“I did not know that we would be so popular over here,” Barrett said. “There’s a lot of Duke fans in the world, I’m coming to find out,”

 

 

Despite being heralded as the next big thing, people close to Barrett say he’s a humble player of character. Dwight Walton, a former Canadian international, current assistant coach for Concordia University in Montreal, and close friend and former teammate of Barrett's father, was one of the few people who knew the teenager’s preferred college choice before anyone else.

“From a character standpoint, Duke is getting a very good person,” Walton said. “And whatever NBA team drafts RJ next season, because it’s pretty obvious he’s going to be a one-and-done player, is getting a very, very good person on and off the court.”

MORE: R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson combine for 63 points in Duke exhibition win

Barrett’s head coach, Mike Krzyzewski, who will have much to do with his collegiate development before he takes his next step into the NBA, heaped nothing but praise for his star Canadian on Sunday.

“When we recruit a kid, we look for talent, good student and character. He’s off the charts on all three,” Krzyzewski said. “I found him to be more of a competitor. He does not like to lose. An outstanding defender. He can lock you up. And a leader. He’s a great kid to be around. I love him.”

The five-time National Championship winning coach also did his best to avoid comparing Barrett and Williamson to any of his previous recruits and other Duke legends.

“I don’t like to have comparisons because I want them to be themselves,” he added. “Both these kids are different and I need to coach them and develop their personalities and their game instead of trying to fit them into my game. With a Grant Hill, that level of guy, Jayson Tatum, we did the same thing."

“In other words, don’t put a ceiling on them.”

There will be comparisons made for both players, against Krzyzewski’s best wishes. It’s the nature of the beast that is sports and sports media. Expectations will also be astronomically, especially for Barrett in Canada. Fans will eagerly await to see what his ceiling is, and on Sunday, they all got a taste of what’s to come.

 

 

 

 

Julian McKenzie