Coming into the Grassroots TOC, most people that looked at the list of teams and figured the championship game would come down to Team United and Pro Skills Basketball, two of the better teams in the state in the 16U age division. However, someone forgot to give the message to the NC Runnin’ Rebels coached by Aaron Clyburn The NC Runnin Rebels finished the event with a perfect 5-0 record and was never seriously challenged in any single game. They beat PSB Select Elite 69-52 and Team United EYBL 79-66 and won the prestigious Grassroots TOC 16U ACC Championship. The Runnin’ Rebels have a quality team and feature some outstanding players. Today, we want to take a closer look at 6’0 Chris Barnette and what he brings to the table and what he means to his team.
In speaking with head coach Aaron Clyburn of the NC Runnin’ Rebels, he stated, “his team been around since 3rd grade and has consistently done well throughout the years. I think our style of play, team over individual, has been good for us in terms of how successful we have been over the years but has hurt us in terms of how we as a team and my guys as individuals have been constantly overlooked. As a group we have competed on a national level and have a long list of accomplishments including… NCAAU Div. 1 State Championship (6th, 7th, & 8th grade), AAU Div. 1 National Championship – 4th Place (7th grade), AAU Div. 1 National Championship – 6th Place (8th grade), along with countless other tournament championships and high finishes at major tournaments.”
One player that has been a winner from day one is 6’0 ’18 Chris Barnette. As a matter of fact, we have watched Chris for many years and his resume dates back to 2013 when he first attended the NC Junior Phenom camp. At the time, Chris was only 5’4 and in middle school, but he made a strong impression on us. We wrote, “ Chris had a great attitude and played with a high motor. His hustle was appealing and was a very coachable young player. He surprised us with his ability to dribble penetrate and finish over bigger and stronger players. He had a “no fear” approach to the game and showed a lot of confidence in his abilities. We liked his basketball IQ and overall court decision making. His shooting mechanics are exceptional and can make shots. Chris shot selection could be improved, but you have to like his on court demeanor.” Well, not much as changed from our 2013 evaluation except Chris is now 6’0 and has gotten even better. Coach Aaron Clyburn stated,“Chris is one of the hardest working kids I’ve ever coached or even seen for that matter. This kid puts 100% effort into all that he does and he’s successful because of it. He began his season at Ravenscroft as a reserve but worked his way into the starting lineup and became one of the leaders in minutes played. He has a deadly stroke from deep but also knows how to run a team and get his teammates involved while rarely turning the ball over. He also has a teammate, Michael Okaru, heading for Brewster in the fall so I’m sure he’ll play an even larger role this upcoming high school season.” Last season, Chris averaged 9.2 PPG and 3 APG for Ravenscroft and is averaging 13 PPG and 4 ASPG for the Runnin’ Rebels. Look for big things this summer from Chris Barnette and we expect his stock to increase tremendously over the next few years. We have a sneaky suspicion that his evaluation from his years from the NC Junior Phenom camp will be a carbon copy when he finishes up his high school career. You see, some things never change!