Pitt lands four-star SF Barnes

Pitt followed its first ACC win of the season with its first commitment for the 2023 recruiting class as four-star small forward Marlon Barnes committed to the Panthers on Sunday.

Barnes also held an offer from ACC foe Miami, but his connections to Pitt are much more direct. He played one year of high school basketball with current Panther standout John Hugley, and after visiting Pitt last fall, Barnes said he welcomed the opportunity to join forces with Hugley again in college.

“He wants me there badly,” Barnes told Panther-Lair.com. “We only got to play together for one year in high school so being able to play together in college would be really cool. He always says how crazy it would be if two guys from Brush would end up at the same college.”

Barnes has made several visits to Pitt in the last year. He was in town in September, and before that, Barnes checked out the Panthers in June for an unofficial visit.

“Overall, I really like it at Pitt,” he said after the June visit. “I really like what I saw and what I’ve been around. The staff seems like a real great coaching staff overall.”

A 6’6” 180-pound small forward, Barnes ranks as the No. 79 prospect in the class of 2023.