For Chris Barnette, he won over the hearts of the Phenom Hoop Report staff at the recent David Rose MDC. The combo guard can easily play both guard positions and did an outstanding job of running his team in the half court, however he is highly effective coming off ball screens and consistently knocking down long-range 3-pointers. As a matter of fact, Barnette may have been one of the best pure shooters at the event. Heck, we can even take it one step further and state he may be one of the better pure shooters in the state.

While most will enjoy his offensive skills, which do deserve special praise, we were equally impressed with his overall hustle and passion he displayed game after game. The long armed guard does have above average lateral quickness and puts as much or more effort on the defensive end of the court as he comes on the offensive end of the court. That statement alone speaks volume! There are not many players who work as hard on the offensive end of the court moving without the ball to come off staggered screens and picks to get open for his patented and pure jump shot. With a player working that hard offensively, it's only normal for a player to take a play off on the defensive end of the court. However, that is not the case for Barnette. One thing is for certain; effort is not a problem for the young guard. He simply defends 'his tail' off and his passion to give maximum effort and energy is a staple in Barnette's personal resume.

In addition to being an outstanding young player, Barnette is a high academic student athlete that is high in character too. In speaking with Barnette, it's easy to see how focused and well grounded this young man is! His goal like many young players is to play college basketball at any level. While he would relish the opportunity to play D1 level basketball, he would consider playing at any level. That along tells you everything you need to know about this young man. After college, his goal is to be a basketball coach and to give back to the game he enjoys playing. While his name is not often brought up with D1 coaches, it may be wise for some schools to take notice. Schools at any level can always use a well-grounded young man that has his academics and priorities in order, not to mention the ability to give his heart and soul to the game he loves.