Michigan Basketball: 3 Takeaways from 4-star Isaiah Barnes commitment

How Barnes will fit in

Interestingly enough, when I watch Barnes shoot the basketball, he reminds me a lot of Isaiah Livers, who led Michigan basketball in 3-point percentage last season. Barnes is a streaky shooter but he shows the ability over and over again to spot up and release the ball quickly, even when his shot is contested.

While he reminded me of Livers, his willingness to shoot, even with guys in his face, reminded me of another Wolverine — Jordan Poole. Obviously, it might seem weird to compare a guy to both Livers and Poole, but I see a little of their games in Barnes, a 6-foot-7 wing who could play the two or the three down the road.

Barnes needs to do a better job of creating more scoring opportunities going to the bucket. You also don’t see him doing much in the ball-screen game. Poole didn’t really either. He was more of a catch-and-shoot guy. Like Poole, Barnes likes pull-up jumpers too.

Barnes is obviously longer than Poole and I’d expect him to be a better defender. He’s also a guy with tons of upside and he didn’t get the chance to showcase himself this summer on the shoe circuit, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he rose in the rankings again, after going from unrated to a four star.

Like Poole and Livers, who will also end up in the NBA, Barnes is a guy that should play a few years in Ann Arbor, with pro potential down the road if he gets more consistent with his shot and finds a way to create more of his own offense against elite competition.