Michigan isn't the favorite to land R.J. Barrett, the nation's top rising senior, but the Wolverines will get his last visit.
Barrett, a Canadian transplant to Monteverde (Fla.) Academy, announced his visit list on his USA TODAY blog.
"First off, I want to give you guys the dates for my upcoming official visits: Kentucky next weekend Sept. 1-3, Duke Sept. 15-17, Arizona Sept. 21-23, Oregon Sept. 23-25 and Michigan Sept. 29-Oct. 1.
"I’m really focusing on this process and getting my visits in right now because I don’t want to prolong anything because I know the teams, coaches and their style of play. That’s why I’ve got the visits back-to-back like this because I want to have a decision by November. I plan on signing during the Early Signing Period."
Barrett views himself as a "position-less" player.
"Coming up my dad taught me to be versatile as a playmaker and be able to play wherever I’m needed from point guard to playing in the paint and that’s how I play. I really don’t have any position, but I understand that people have opinions based off how I play. The only thing that matters to me is knowing what I’m capable of on the court."
SlamOnline.com wrote recently that Barrett is reminiscent of two NBA standouts.
"On the court, R.J. has an offensive game reminiscent of James Harden when on the perimeter and of Dwyane Wade when finishing at the rim," they wrote. "Roy Rana, head coach of Team Canada’s U-19 squad, saw R.J.’s coming-of-age performance up close. R.J. averaged 21.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.7 steals in the tournament last month. After his dominant performance against Team USA, R.J. followed it up with 18 points and 12 rebounds in a championship win over Team Italy. He was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
“The way he puts together games, it’s unique for a guy who still has incredible room for growth,” Rana told the media at Toronto’s Crown League in July. “What we haven’t had is someone take us to the finish line, and R.J. was able to do that. That’s what really separates him.”
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