UTEP introduces incoming freshman guard Chris Barnes
EL PASO, Texas – UTEP basketball introduced 6’3″ swingman Chris Barnes to the media Thursday afternoon.
Barnes graduated from Compton High School in Los Angeles – the same school that produced NBA All-Star Demar Derozan, who also played for Coach Tim Floyd when Floyd was in charge of USC’s program.
Barnes averaged 12 points per game his senior year at Compton High. Prior to his time there, he won a state title as a sophomore with Bishop Montgomery in Torrance, CA.
When asked to describe himself to fans, Barnes expressed a lot of self-confidence for a freshman.
“You’re about to get an amazing basketball player who gets up the court and that’s real athletic,” he told reporters.
Barnes says he did not take an official visit to UTEP during the recruiting process, but was sold based on his belief in Coach Floyd and the UTEP fan base.
Though he’s still confident, he recognizes there are a few areas of his game that need to improve before he plays his first collegiate minutes. He has, after all, only been on the UTEP campus for about two weeks now.
“I just need to make sure my three point shot is really consistent and conditioning. If I get the conditioning to where I want it to be, I’ll be an amazing player to watch,” said Barnes.
