Canadian basketball star R.J. Barrett to jump a year ahead to join Class of 2018
Whether it was starring for Canada, or at the prestigious Nike Hoop Summit and the Basketball Without Borders game at the NBA’s all-star weekend, R.J. Barrett has proven he can more than hold his own against players years older.
Now, the 17-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., is leaping ahead a year to join the Class of 2018.
Barrett, who was the top-ranked player for 2019, announced Monday that he was reclassifying on his blog — “RJ’s World” — on USA Today, making for both an intriguing 2019 NBA draft, and a busy couple of months of university visits for the young player.
“I’ve been thinking about it for some time now, just talking to my family about it, just came to this decision,” Barrett said in a phone interview from Las Vegas. “The World Cup helped, I played well and the team did well, but (reclassifying) has been an idea. The World Cup was definitely a confidence booster, but it was just one of the things that led to this decision.”