Remi Barry, 6-7 215 forward considering UCLA

St. John's in mix for French star Barry

At 6-foot-7, recruit also considering UCLA, Arizona State

By Adam Zagoria / SNY.tv
05/11/2010 11:11 AM ET

Remi Barry, who attends Del Oro High School, hasn't played in a high school game since February 2009. (YBA Dawgs)

Having already landed Los Angeles senior wing Dwayne Polee, St. John's now appears to be in the mix for another highly touted recruit from California.
Remi Barry, a 6-foot-7, 215-pound native of France with NBA potential, is considering the Johnnies along with UCLA and Arizona State.

Doc Haynes, Barry's AAU coach with the YBA Dawgs, says UConn and Wake Forest have also expressed interest, but St. John's is the leader.

"Right now he's considering St. John's as the frontrunner," Haynes said Monday in a phone interview from Sacramento, Calif.

Barry, who is averaging 24 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the YBA Dawgs, didn't anoint St. John's as his favorite just yet, though.

"I don't have any favorite at all," he said. "I have top three. UCLA, St. John's and Arizona State."

St. John's coach Steve Lavin was recently out in California visiting Polee, who committed last week, and Barry.

Haynes said Barry struck up a relationship with the former UCLA and current Red Storm coach.

"There's something about the Big Apple that's intriguing," Haynes said. "Coach Lavin came out about two weeks ago. Remi thought that he was very genuine and that was a big plus. Remi's got everyone coming from everywhere trying to woo him and he thought that Coach Lavin was very genuine."

Barry said he liked Lavin but needed to visit the Queens campus.

"I like him, but I need to go check the campus and do the same for every college that I want to go," Barry said.

Barry said he may visit some schools "in two weeks," but provided no further details.

Barry played the 2008-09 season at American Heritage High School in Florida, but he hasn't played in a high school game since February 2009.

California officials ruled that his transfer to Del Oro High School was for athletic advantage and said he could not suit up there. He spent this past season working out with its team.

He has been playing AAU ball with the YBA Dawgs since March.

During one sequence of events last week, Haynes said Barry "caught an alley-oop, reversed it and dunked it backwards."

On the next play, he backed down a smaller defender, drop-stepped and threw down a power dunk.

Soon thereafter, he pulled up in transition and swished a 3-pointer.

"He definitely can do it all," Haynes said. "He can handle the ball. He's one of our best ball-handlers. He's one of our best shooters. He's unselfish and that's what everyone loves."

When the team played this past weekend at an AAU event in Rocklin, Calif., Haynes came away with a few more interesting tales.

With the Dawgs up 23 points in one game, Haynes sent Barry to the bench to rest, only to hear boos from the parents and fans of the opposing team.

"They said, 'We drove three hours to play against you guys,'" Haynes said. "'I love the way you guys play and that kid No. 3 is special. I don't care if we are getting beat, can you just let him play?'"

When Barry and two other players left before the championship game to attend their prom, Haynes heard it from the officials, too.

"I was off two hours ago," one official told Haynes before the title game. "The only reason I stuck around to call this game was because I thought he was going to be here."

Haynes has been in Sacramento since 1992 and calls Barry "the best ballplayer that I've ever seen come out of Sacramento."

Haynes has worked with NBA players Gerald Wallace, Mike Bibby and Peja Stojakovich, and he says Barry compares favorably.

"Remi is on the same level with Gerald Wallace," he said. "I think he shoots the ball better."

Someday, Barry would like to follow French stars Tony Parker and Boris Diaw into the NBA.

"It's my goal, but obviously everybody wants to play there," he said.

As far as colleges, Haynes says Barry has no timetable on deciding.

The NCAA's late-signing period ends May 19, but Haynes said Barry could opt to go past that deadline and just commit over the summer without signing a letter of intent.

"I really don't think he has a timetable," Haynes said. "One of the things that Remi is excited about is St. John's hasn't put any pressure on him to make a decision. Some schools have tried to box him in and force him into a making a decision, and that's a big turnoff for him."

He added: "Just from what I'm feeling, St. John's is in a very good place."


MUH: It's not wholly clear if Barry is a 2010 or 2011 prospect