2021 NBA Draft: Scottie Barnes looks to continue Noles selected in lottery

Scottie Barnes is a name FSU basketball fans are familiar with, but more NBA fans are getting to know the name with the 2021 NBA Draft approaching Thursday night.

The NBA Draft has become an event where teams select players based on potential more than anything.

The days of watching a player flourish in college three or four years and becoming a lottery pick are rare, if not over.

Scottie Barnes fits the mold perfectly, a player with loads of potential who showed flashes in his brief time in Tallahassee.

A player that would likely benefit greatly from another year in college(like most 19-year olds) It would be another year to mature physically and hone in on his game, but it’s a no-brainer to leave college with millions waiting.

It’s something FSU basketball fans have become accustomed to as Leonard Hamilton has transformed his program in Tallahassee.

Most pundits predict Barnes will be a top-five pick, going to the Orlando Magic with another former top-five pick in Jonathan Issac, who also attended Florida State.

When Barnes hears his name called, he’ll become the third first-round lottery pick for FSU basketball in the last two years. Patrick Williams (No. 4) and Devin Vassell( No.11) were lottery picks in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Jonathan Isaac was the No. 6 selection in the 2017 NBA Draft. It doesn’t look like Leonard Hamilton will be stopping anytime soon either. Barnes was the No. 7 overall player in the 2020 recruiting cycle, and Hamilton has already reloaded with the 2021 class that finished No. 6 in the nation.

Scottie Barnes is a guy that can play a long time in the league. He has tremendous athleticism and can do several things to impact the game on both ends of the floor. That sounds just like a Leonard Hamilton-coached player doesn’t it FSU fans? Good luck to Scottie Barnes in the NBA Draft Thursday night. The event will begin at 8 p.m. and will air on ESPN and ABC.