Duke Blue Devils freshman swingman R.J. Barrett made history during his squad's 71-70 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Tuesday.
Barrett, who finished the win with 28 points, while playing all 40 minutes, broke the school's freshman scoring record, passing Marvin Bagley III, now having totaled 698 points on the season.
R.J.'s the real deal. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/R9uE0ZPDBu
— theScore (@theScore) March 6, 2019
During his freshman campaign in Durham, the 18-year-old has established himself as a top NBA prospect alongside fellow freshman Zion Williamson, who has captivated the basketball world with his combination of size and otherworldly athleticism. While Williamson has dominated highlights and mock drafts, the 6-foot-7 guard has gone about his business averaging 23.3 points per game this season, as Williamson has been sidelined the past four games due to a knee injury.
It seems highly probable that Barrett won't be around Duke long enough to set an all-time school scoring records, projected by many to be a consensus Top 3 selection in the 2019 NBA Draft, no matter how the draft order shakes out. Even without Williamson in the mix, the Blue Devils present a legitimate National title contender.
It wasn't long ago that Barrett was the top prospect in the country during high school, arriving at Duke lauded as the likely top draft choice in '19. A former McDonald's All-American and Mr. Basketball USA, Barrett was the consensus No. 1 recruit in the land upon his arrival to coach Mike Krzyzewski's club.
Barrett still has one regular season content, ACC Tournament play, and the NCAA Tournament to add to his freshman scoring record. If all goes as planned with wins piling up, Barrett could push the numbers to unattainable heights for any high schoolers looking to dethrone him.
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