At 6-foot-6, with unusual versatility and an advanced offensive skillset, Will Barton is no ordinary high school player. It’s evident by watching him play or glancing at his list of interested schools – Maryland, Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, Villanova and Kentucky a few among them. Barton, a consensus top-50 player in the Class of 2010 whose brother Antonio is also a sought-after prospect, recently gave TerpCenter.com the latest on his recruitment.

As of early December, Barton had taken only one unofficial visit this winter – to Maryland, for the Vermont game.

“I liked it a lot. It’s a really good environment. They get pretty loud in there and they usually pack the [Comcast Center],” said Barton, rated a 92 out of 100 on the ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. rating scale.

The Terps first viewed Barton as a sophomore at National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Md., where he and Antonio landed after transferring from City College in their hometown of Baltimore. Will had some academic ground to make up and re-classified, joining his younger brother in the Class of 2010. They enjoyed the regimented program there under coach Trevor Brown, but made another move this year, transferring to Lake Clifton-Eastern High in Baltimore.

“My mother is a single mother and being by herself, she wanted us to be closer to home,” said Antonio, a 6-foot-3 point guard with interest from Maryland, Villanova, Central Florida, Xavier and Temple. “The first quarter, me and my brother were both on the honor roll.”

Antonio, a 6-3 point who averaged 15 points and five assists last year, has drawn high praise from several scouts and coaches we’ve spoken to, but doesn’t quite have the options Will has at this point. The elder Barton already claims the following offers: Maryland, Pitt, Villanova, Indiana, Kentucky, Marquette, Charlotte, Central Florda and South Florida. The Terps were an early presence in his recruitment thanks to assistant coach Chuck Driesell’s constant scouring of the local talent, and Baltimore native Keith Booth has since taken an active role.

“They have been showing me a lot of interest and I have a lot of interest in Maryland too. Maryland has been recruiting me since the 10th grade,” he said. “They say they like my versatility, they lik ethe way I get up and down the floor, that I can do a lot of things and play the way they like to play.”
Brown last year said Barton was reminiscent of reigning NBA Rookie of the Year at the same age; Durant played at NCA as a freshman and sophomore. Calls have been steadily lighting up the phone of Troy Franklin, the Bartons’ coach with the Baltimore Stars.

“Who’s calling? You’re better off asking who isn’t calling. I have gotten a call from North Carolina or Duke, but pretty much everyone is calling,” said Franklin, adding that Maryland seems keenly interested and that he could envision Will Barton possibly ending up a Terp.

Will wasn’t the lone subject of Brown’s strong reviews. He said Antonio wasn’t far behind Bishop O’Connell star Kendall Marshall, a UNC recruit, in terms of all-around potential. Antonio has been hearing primarily from Maryland, Villanova, Central Florida, Temple and Xavier. None has offered yet.

“We grew up around here, so of course with Maryland being the local school, it’s interesting,” Antonio said.

The two would like to play together in college, but a package deal isn’t set in stone.

“That is something that we’d like and some of the same colleges are recruiting both of us, like Maryland, but we don’t have all of the same colleges recruiting us, so we’ll just have to see,” Will said.

With their mother hoping to have her sons nearby during their college careers, it would seem the local schools – namely Maryland and Georgetown – would stand the best shot with the Bartons. Location, though, won’t be solely responsible for their eventual decisions.

“Not solely, but that’s a big part,” Will Barton said. “But I’ll go far away if that happens to be where the best situation for me is.”