UTEP men’s basketball picks up talented Tarleton State transfer Devon Barnes

(Courtesy: UTEP Athletics)

EL PASO, Texas - The UTEP men’s basketball team has landed gifted Tarleton State transfer Devon Barnes, head coach Joe Golding announced Thursday.

Barnes averaged 13.0 points (14th WAC), 2.2 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals (15th WAC) to help the Texans compile a DI school-record 25 wins and reach the semifinals of the CIT. 

He will have two years of eligibility with the Miners, who are coming off a run to the CUSA Championship contest for the first time since 2011.

A profile on Barnes and a quote from Golding follow below.

Devon Barnes

Guard

6-0, 171

Tarleton State

Hinesville, Ga.

Key player for Tarleton State in his lone season (2023-24) with the program who started 34 of 35 games, helping it pile up 25 victories and make a run to the CIT semifinals … ranked second on the team in scoring (13.0), 3-pointers made (56) and total assists (77) while tying for third in steals (45) … piled up 25 double-digit scoring contests and placed seventh in the WAC with seven 20-point outbursts … hit double figures for points in nine of the final 10 games of the campaign, including all three CIT contests … was at his best in league play, sitting 10th in the league for scoring in WAC-only games at 14.2 ppg and 11th for steals with 1.5 spg … outstanding free throw shooter who nailed 85.7 percent (126-147) from the charity stripe, the second-best percentage in the WAC among players with at least 50 attempts … rated second in the league for free throws made, aided by 13 contests with at least five FTM … drilled 43.2 percent (136-315) from the floor, including connecting on 39.7 percent (56-141) from downtown … erupted for a career-high and Texans’ WAC-record 33 points on 11-18 shooting (also career bests) in an 82-65 throttling of Cal Baptist (2/24/24) … named the WAC Newcomer of the Week for his efforts … got after it defensively with six steals at Utah Tech (2/29/24), which tied for second most in the league in a contest … drained consecutive 3-pointers to break a deadlock and help lift Tarleton State to a win at Seattle U (2/10) … finished with 15 points in the tilt … ripped off three straight games with 20+ points in late February, tallying 22 against Grand Canyon (2/22/24), 33 vs. CBU and 21 at Utah Tech … averaged 25.3 ppg while shooting a combined 48.8 percent from the floor (21-43), including 50.0 percent (8-16) on 3-pointers and 77.8 percent (14-18) at the charity stripe, during the heater … his play helped put the finishing touches on a 10-game winning streak … came alive for 22 points (all in the second half) against Southern Utah (1/25/24) … tallied 18 points and dished out a game-high five assists, including setting up the eventual game-winning 3-pointer with 24 seconds left, in a 78-76 triumph against UTRGV (1/4/24) … came off the bench to score 11 points in only 15 minutes in the season opener at Virginia … started every game the remainder of the campaign … lit up CUSA member Jax State (12/21/23) for 20 points on 8-16 shooting, including 4-7 from distance … nailed at least three 3-pointers in nine different contests … attempted 10+ free throws in a trio of tilts … poured in 24 points on 8-16 shooting (3-6 on treys) in the WAC Tournament against UTA (3/15/24) … paced the team in scoring 10 times … spent the 2022-23 season with Triton College where he was a spark plug primarily off the bench … put up 15.3 ppg to go along with 3.4 apg and 2.7 rpg, which helped the team forge a record of 22-7 and make the NJCAA DI Region IV Finals … connected on 44.9 percent (136-303) from the floor, including 41.3 percent (81-196) on triples … surpassed double figures in scoring in 22 times, with 20+ points on eight occasions … exploded for a season-high 40 points vs. Barton CC (11/5/22) … notched a double-double (22 points, 11 assists) against Richard J. Daley College (12/13/22) … went off for 28 points, aided by going a ridiculous 8-15 on 3-pointers, at Sauk Valley CC (12/6/22) … accounted for 20 of his team-high 23 points during a playoff win, including dropping five triples, to once again torment Sauk Valley CC (3/4/23).

“I could not be any more excited to announce Devon Barnes’s signing as a UTEP Miner! Devon is someone we identified almost immediately as a player that we needed to have in order to accomplish the goals we have set for the 2024-25 season. We feel that he is the perfect fit to come in and be an immediate impact guy with his ability to elevate players on the court around him. He is a dynamic playmaker, a natural leader on the court, and what we love most about him is his track record of winning at every level.”

Head coach Joe Golding