Coming off of a 19-8 season at Windsor High School, senior point guard Noah Barnes announced that he is officially a Patriot.
Barnes, the JCAA Conference Player of the Year and conference scoring leader, is coming off his best season to date with the Owls. As a junior, the 6’1” point guard averaged 19.1 points per game and shot 52% from the field. For people who may not know, Windsor is located in Imperial, Missouri.
Being the new kid is not easy, especially in senior year, but Barnes said he is taking it all in stride. Moving 40 minutes away, he may not be too far from his previous school, but he’s embracing the challenge of adjusting to the new environment.
“Coming in senior year, it definitely was a little intimidating. But as a kid, I’ve always been okay with doing things alone, so I knew it wasn’t going to be that bad if worst came to worst,” he said.
In the short time he’s been here, Barnes has already found his place within the basketball team leading the Patriots to a Kansas University Team Camp Championship, the first KU tournament win for Parkway South.
Outside of school, Barnes also spends his time giving back to the community as a youth basketball coach for the Southwest Middle School team, inspiring the next generation of athletes.
With a disappointing (11-17) season last year, the Patriots look forward to improving, according to Head Coach Ryan McArthy. A brand new roster replaces a majority of last year’s starting lineup and squad that graduated 8 seniors.
This season will be McArthy’s second in charge of the Patriots.
“[I’m] definitely excited for this season. This is my second year here and having more time to build relationships is rewarding. I really enjoy being around our players, every season we will have highs and lows, but I’m optimistic that our guys will be built to respond to whatever is thrown at them this year.”
However, with the addition of Barnes, players like junior Rashad Willis are also optimistic that this season could be something special.
“He brings that spark that we needed; he might’ve been the piece that we were missing. Having him here gives us a better feeling of connectedness,” Willis said
McArthy said he’s also going to be a positive for the team.
“Noah is a high character, a winner, coachable, and a gym rat. Mix those four characteristics and he is a strength anywhere he goes,” McArthy said.
Barnes commented on the people who have helped him in the transition to a new school.
“God. He is my strength. Without Him I am nothing. Also, the people here at South have welcomed me with open arms. Coach McArthy, Matt Roach, Preston Cruz, and Ava McCulla have made this move so much easier for me and I am grateful for all they’ve done. The kids on the team are great and have made it feel like home in such a short period,” he said.
