The other day I mentioned that Syracuse was on the list for both Will & Antonio Barton out of Baltimore. Five-star Will and three-star Antonio were rumored to be a fabulous package deal for one of many schools interested in their services in two years. The brothers played it cool about the possibility that it was a 2-for-1, saying that it was just as likely they'd end up at different schools.
Not so, it turns out. They'll be going to the same school after all. And that school is Memphis.
The word came late Friday night, after Will and Antonio Barton had spent just a few hours participating in the University of Memphis' first elite camp under head coach Josh Pastner.
"It's official. We have committed," said Antonio Barton, referring to he and his brother's verbal pledge to the Tigers on Friday.
Kudos to Pastner for convincing a five-star player to come to Memphis in these post-Calipari days with the threat of NCAA sanctions looming over the program. Good luck with allllllll that, Bartons.
And so, Syracuse moves on to the next one. It's more of a devastating blow to Maryland and Testudo Times laments the lost opportunity but looks the future:
The Bartons' departure is a bit of a blow to the Terps' confidence, but Will was never our only shot to have a good class. He would've been great, don't get me wrong, but odds were never high that we'd land him. It sucks that he didn't commit to Maryland, but he would've been icing on the cake, not the cake itself. I would be shocked to find out the staff put all of their efforts into Will Barton alone.
If you're interested in learning more, keep an eye on Northstar Basketball. Alex over there spoke with Will Barton hours before he committed and got some idea of his mindset heading into the decision.