With the addition of a Toledo Rocket, Saint Louis University men’s basketball coach Rick Majerus has his line-up set for the 2010-11 campaign. On Friday, May 14, in a press release issued by SLU, Majerus announced the transfer of former Toledo freshman Jake Barnett to the Billikens.
“He has the ability to knock down the three-ball with a great degree of regularity, and can stretch the defense,” Majerus said. “Best of all, he can feed the post, and that should give us space to play with on the court. I like his toughness, and he can play the two or three spot. His tenacity will enable him to cover the position defensively.”
Barnett, a 6-foot-5 guard from Wauwatosa, Wis., will be ineligible for the 2010-11 season. But the sophomore will have three years of NCAA eligibility after that. As a freshman this season at Toledo, Barnett started all 32 games, and led the Rockets in 3-point field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage and minutes played.
He topped Toledo with 24 double-figure scoring outings and tallied at least 20 points on four different occasions, including a season-high 26 against University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Barnett served as a team captain, the first freshman in Toledo’s history to carry the honor.
In a phone interview with The University News, the newest Billiken said he was attracted to SLU by its head coach and the bright future of the program.
“I think Majerus is a winner. I think I have a similar aspect in that love for winning. He has a proven track record, and I’m excited be part of his system,” Barnett said. “The ultimate factor was the total package. The coach, the players, and I really enjoyed [my visit] and every aspect about the program. I prayed about it, and made the decision.”
Barnett said he felt it was time to move forward following the release of former Toledo head coach Gene Cross.
“It was just time to move on, and I felt it was right in my heart to come here,” he said.
SLU will benefit immediately from Barnett’s presence on the bench. During last season’s unexpected post-season run, the Billikens suffered from a lack of depth, at one time only having eight healthy players available for practice. He will also have a chance to step into a leadership role in just his second year of action – after juniors Kwamain Mitchell and Kyle Cassity have graduated.
But he is also aware of the NCAA requirement to redshirt transfers.
“I think it’s [really] important for me to get stronger and work on different parts of my game, and push my teammates in practice,” Barnett said about redshirting this season.
Barnett noted that his strength was in shooting, but that SLU’s system would stress his defensive skills.
“I want to make my weaknesses my strengths, and I think Majerus will help me with … being a total package player.”
The new Billiken is currently in Bulgaria on a mission-playing trip. He will arrive at SLU later this summer for full squad workouts with the team. Barnett becomes the fifth player to join the Billikens this year. Earlier, 6-foot-5 forward Dwayne Evans (Bolingbrook, Ill. / Neuqua Valley), 6-foot-2 guard Jordair Jett (St. Paul, Minn. / Notre Dame Prep), 6-foot-11 forward Rob Loe (Auckland, New Zealand / Westlake) and 6-foot-1 guard Mike McCall (Chicago, Ill. / Foreman) inked with the team.
Player Bio
Jake Barnett
Guard – G
Height: 6-5
Weight: 190
Sophomore-Transfering from the University of Toledo
Hometown
Wauwatosa, WI
goldjm • May 20, 2010 at 2:40 pm
“With the addition of a Toledo Rocket, Saint Louis University men?s basketball coach Rick Majerus has his line-up set for the 2010-11 campaign.”
How does this have any impact on the “2010-2011 campaign” when he cannot participate next year?
Derrick Neuner • May 20, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Well, the most immediate impact, as I mentioned, will be off the bench. The Billikens, especially the sophomores (Ellis, Salecich) and incoming freshman, will need someone to push them hard in practice. They didn’t have that last year, really. And likewise, Kwamain, Kyle, and Willie had no one able to push them in practice, either, because of the lack of size and experience of the rest of the team. Jake adds both and he adds an extra body. Plus, I anticipate that Jake will not have to be taught much by the coaches; he’ll simply be adjusting. That’s a huge bonus.
Beyond that, he fills a void that will be left by Cassity in two years. From Majerus’ perspective, he’s seasoning Jake to take over that starting shooting guard position. He will have a kid in a year with over two years of college ball experience, but with three years of eligibility left. It’s a great get for the program.