Junior wing Richard Barron set to visit Illinois
Illinois is set to host a handful of recruiting targets over the weekend as things heat up and the November signing period inches closer.
Among the visitors set to be in Champaign is 2023 wing Richard Barron from Chicago St. Ignatius.
Orange and Blue News caught up with Barron to talk about his upcoming visit and update his recruitment.
A big-bodied wing at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, Barron played for the Meanstreets AAU program over the summer, an EYBL club that Illinois assistant Tim Anderson has deep ties to.
This weekend will be his first visit to Illinois. He's familiar with the school and the basketball program. He now wants to take in the full college experience on his unofficial visit.
"On the visit I'm really just trying to see the environment at Illinois," he said. "At Ignatius, a lot of kids go to Illinois after high school. I see on their socials the experience they have and I truly want to just see it for myself. I also just want to learn more about the community."
A handful of others Chicago-land prospects will join Barron in Champaign this weekend, as the Illini host the 2024 St. Rita trio of big men James Brown and Morez Johnson and point guard Jaedin Reyna.
Barron's ties to Anderson run deeper than the Meanstreets program. Anderson is well-known throughout the Chicago youth basketball community, and Barron says he's known Anderson since he was 9-years old.
"He’s like a big brother to me," Barron said. "He’s always on me to give more and never be satisfied. He just knows how to get the most out of kids. He trained me and most younger players that come up in Chicago."
Offers for Barron so far include DePaul, Loyola, Milwaukee, George Mason, and Kent State. He's getting some other high major and mid-major looks.
Illinois is just jumping into the recruitment and its likely in the evaluation stages so far. He's hoping the visit ramps things up a bit.
"The interest is definitely there," Barron said. "I’m not sure if a offer could come or not this weekend but if an offer came it would mean a lot to me. Coming from this city, you see a lot of people not make it or get caught in the politics, but if a in-school state believes in you, you know your doing something right, so it means a lot."
Last season as a sophomore, Barron helped lead a young St. Ignatius team to a 13-5 record, including a big upset of highly-ranked Curie in March.
A big-bodied wing at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, Barron can bull his way to the basket and compete with taller players around the rim, and also as a surprisingly soft shooting touch.
"I play shooting guard, but personally I don’t have a position," Barron said. "At 6-foot-5, I can post up guards, but at 220 I can play with bigs. One thing coaches like about my game is my versatility to play anywhere on the floor. My game is unique because I can shoot the ball, go downhill with power and finish, but can also post you up."
There was no post-season last spring because of Covid. Barron said the goal this year is to make a deep run in March now that the core group is a year older.
He also has conference rival Loyola Academy circled on the schedule.
"Our Ignatius team looks good this year," Barron said. "We are preseason top 5 team in my eyes. We have all the pieces. Anyone can go off any night which makes us scary this year. Our main goals are beating Loyola and winning state, and we’re all working and have our eyes on the prize."
The St. Ignatius Wolfpack return team leaders Barron and 6-foot-3 senior guard AJ Redd, who were both IHSA Class 3A honorable mention All-State selections last season. 6-foot-9 power forward Jackson Kotecki, who played on the EYBL circuit with the Mac Irvin Fire, is another player Barron believes is flying under the radar.
For Illini fans, St. Ignatius likely rings a bell as the high school where Nnanna Egwu graduated before singing with the Fighting Illini. Egwu is still well-known around the school, and he's spoken to Barron and other St. Ignatius players about his experience playing for the Fighting Illini.
"Nnanna Egwu is an Ignatius legend," Barron said. "He leads Illinois in most blocks of all time if I'm not wrong. He has come in and talked about how Illinois was one of the best experiences for him. Nothing but great news about the school and nothing but encouraging words for me."