Class of 2023 Marlon Barnes Jr. planning two visits

By TOBIAS BASS

The live period is underway and the Class of 2023 prospects are preparing themselves as college coaches will be traveling all across the country to watch them play. Ypsi Prep (MI) wing Marlon Barnes Jr is focused and plans on showing more of his offensive skillset.

“As I progress as a player one of my main goals is becoming an elite defense and I feel like I can take my game to a whole different level,” Barnes told ZAGSBLOG Sunday. “I feel like most people look at me as just a shooter but I can do a lot more than that.”

The 6-foot-6, 180 pound forward just took unofficial visits to Pitt and Cincinnati last week and will be visiting UCLA and UNLV this week.

“So far I only took a visit to Pitt and Cincinnati and both visits went great,” he said. “I like both campus but in my opinion I like Cincinnati’s campus better. I like Pitt’s facility better and I will be taking visits to UNLV and UCLA this upcoming week.”

Since the start of the contact period on June 15, Barnes has heard from Memphis, Akron and George Washington.

Barnes’ AAU team Bates Fundamentals won’t be playing until the Peach Jam, but expects his team to play well.

“Going into Peach Jam I expect us to go in with the mindset nothing else but win and playing as a team when we do that it’s hard to beat us,” he said.

A year ago Barnes transferred to Ypsi Prep and has benefitted from playing alongside Baylor committed Dillon Hunter and unsigned five-star recruit Emoni Bates.

“What I learned from [E]moni [Bates] and Dill[on] [Hunter] is to just be confident and play my game,” Barnes said. “I transferred to YPSI Prep because I felt like me being around the top guys and play against the best comp on the high school level would not only make me better but also get me prepared for the college level.”