Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and associate head coach Jeff Capel met Wednesday at Montverde (FL) Academy with R.J. Barrett, the 6-foot-7 wing who is expected to be in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, and his father Rowan Barrett, the head of Canada Basketball, sources told ZAGSBLOG.
Barrett also cut Arizona from his list and will not visit Michigan for his final official visit, sources told ZAGSBLOG. The Michigan news was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.
Barrett confirmed in a Tweet on Saturday that he was down three schools.
— Rj Barrett (@RjBarrett6) September 30, 2017Multiple sources said Duke remains the frontrunner for Barrett, who took the second of his official visits to Duke earlier this month. He has also visited Kentucky, Arizona and Oregon. “Obviously, they want me to come in and be a part of the team, be one of the main guys and let me play and just do what I do,” Barrett told ZAGSBLOG after his Duke visit. Barrett grew up watching a lot of Duke games, along with Kentucky, where he took his first official two weeks ago. “I watched Duke and Kentucky a lot growing up because they’re always on TV and they’re the best programs,” he said. “And I want to be the best.” Barrett figures to be in the mix for the No. 1 pick in 2019 wherever he goes, but he’s aware that Duke regularly sends players to the lottery and the NBA Draft in general. “Oh for sure they can get guys to the league,” he said of Duke. “They know what they’re doing, they just a great program. All these years, they’ve been a great program.” Kevin Boyle, Barrett’s high school coach, says he should be the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. “He’s right in that class [with the other top picks I have coached],” Boyle said of Barrett on The 4 Quarters Podcast. “Most of the guys [who become superstars] are all those wing guys that end up better in these drafts over the years. That’s why I’m saying he should be the number one pick in two years.” Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
