NCAA Basketball: 2021 wing Brooks Barnhizer talks recruitment

2021 wing Brooks Barnhizer was a fast riser up NCAA basketball recruiting rankings over the course of the past few months. He updates us on his recruitment.

Lafayette Jeff (IN) guard Brooks Barnhizer has emerged as one of the top juniors in the Midwest over the past several months. The 6-foot-6 do-it-all wing is fresh off an excellent high school season and has seen a boom in his recruitment as a result. Over the course of the campaign, he put together ridiculous averages of 20.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game on shooting splits of .565/.445/.779.

Thanks to his strong play, Barnhizer rose to hold the No. 148 spot in the latest Top247 Rankings for the 2021 class. With his well-built frame and all-around game, it is easy to see why high-major programs have begun to prioritize the budding star. Barnhizer really took his game to the next level during this past season and could have been poised for another significant rise in rankings during the summer circuits.

His improved efficiency as a shooter has been a major development and he also continued to show his solid court vision over this past high school campaign. Butler was the first high-major program to show interest in the Hoosier State native but that list of interested parties has grown significantly recently.

Here is a look at his highlights from his junior year:

Even though basketball events are currently postponed around the country due to the coronavirus concerns, Barnhizer took the time to talk with Busting Brackets about his game and recruitment.

For those that have not seen you play, how would you describe your game? Which areas do you think you excelled in and which are you working on most? “For people who have not seen me, I believe that I have a pretty solid all-around game. I think I’ve excelled in getting my teammates involved and getting on the boards and scoring when my team needs it. I am working on improving my ball handling and athleticism as well as everyone else because I know that at the next level those categories are going to be crucial for my game.”

As for your recruitment, which schools are prioritizing you most at the moment? “I feel that Butler, Western Kentucky, Northwestern, Xavier, and Ball State have been prioritizing me.”

What stands out about each of those schools? “I think something that stands out about all of these schools are their staffs. Coach Val, Coach Stansbury, Coach Collins, Coach Steele, and Coach Whitford are all great men as well as coaches and that is really cool about their schools. Each has an assistant that checks in on me every now and then and asks me questions about things other than basketball that relate to family and other things which are super cool!”

How many have you visited? “I have visited Butler, Western Kentucky, and Northwestern. They are all magnificent places!”

How have the coronavirus concerns changed your recruitment now that you cannot take in-person visits, etc? “It’s just kind of made me contact coaches more over the phone and most of my conversations with coaches have shifted to family topics and how I am doing. It’s been awesome to sit back and actually relate to coaches through this time and chop it up with them even more.”

When it comes to making your college decision, what are some qualities that you are looking for in a school and basketball program? “I am looking for a school that feels like a family! A school where I will be able to further my basketball career as well as set my self up for a great future academically.”

That concludes this look at 2021 prospect Brooks Barnhizer. He is a steadily rising 6-foot-6 wing with a budding all-around game. High-major programs should continue to show interest in him and it will be interesting to monitor if he stays in his home state (Indiana) or elects to play a little further from home.