SI All-American Scottie Barnes Highlights

The Florida State signee was one of the top players in the country this season.

The inaugural SI All-American Boys Basketball Team features 15 of the top high school basketball players in the country broken up into three teams who have displayed exceptional dominance during the high school season. Each player has exhibited a level of play this season that will make them a household name at the next level and beyond.

Prospect: Scottie Barnes

Status: SI All-American First Team

Vitals: 6-foot-7, 210 pounds

Position: Forward

School: Montverde (Fla.) Academy

Signed to: Florida State

Why He’s an SI All-American: If Cunningham was the engine that drove Montverde’s dominant season, Barnes was the fuel. No player in any class plays with the level of energy and emotion that Barnes displays every game. Barnes averaged 12 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals a game despite playing half the game most times. The Eagles beat teams by an average of 40 points a game.

What He Said: “I am extremely excited to be on the Sports Illustrated Basketball All-American Team. For over 66 years, this prestigious magazine has covered the top athletes and sports stories around the world. Today, I’m a part of that history. I never dreamed of being this successful, and I must use it to motivate myself because it’s so easy to be lazy, procrastinate and fall off. I cannot let this happen. So, I am thankful not just for the honor but for the motivation. I have attached a quote that helps me during tough times: ‘I don’t fear the person that plays pickup games every day because I practice on my weaknesses every day to make them my new strengths.”