Florida State's Scottie Barnes details his journey to the NBA's Raptors

Former Florida State basketball star Scottie Barnes opened up to the NBA about his journey to the league. The Toronto Raptors selected the guard/forward hybrid with the No. 4 pick in the 2020 draft.

“I’ve been watching the NBA since I was little,” Barnes said, via the NBA’s Twitter. “I started off being rocked in my Grandma’s hands watching Kobe Bryant. I feel like I first started hitting my strides in basketball when I was in ninth or 10th grade. I made my first USA basketball team for U-16.”

Barnes was a member of the U-16 USA basketball team that won gold in the 2017 FIBA Americas Championship. He would go on to win additional gold medals at the FIBA World Cup in 2018 (U-17 team) and 2019 (U-19 team).

Draft experts praised his defensive versatility, labeling him one of the best defenders in this class. At 6-foot-9, 227 pounds, Barnes can defend the low post as well as the perimeter. He averaged 2.4 steals per 40 minutes in his lone season with the Seminoles.

Florida State advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, where it lost to Michigan. Barnes made his impact known immediately as a freshman, as he led the team in assists (4.1 per game) and finished third in scoring (10.3 ppg). His handling skills enable him to play point guard, where he could excel on both ends.

A native of West Palm Beach, Barnes spoke on why he chose to attend FSU.

“What made me go to Florida State was the culture I saw in my visit,” Barnes said. “I went to practice and the players were connected. It was a hype practice. It was just a high-energy, high-motor program. My family liked it and I’m from Florida, so it was just a no-brainer for me.”

Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton has built a reputation for putting out some of the top defenses in the nation. Florida State’s play style matched Scottie Barnes’ skillset perfectly, and he shined on his way to becoming the 51st Seminole selected in the NBA draft.

He joins a Raptors squad that lost point guard Kyle Lowry to the Miami Heat this offseason. They return former All-Star Pascal Siakam and sharpshooter Fred Vanvleet, and Barnes has a chance to enter the rotation immediately. Could we perhaps see him running point north of the border in 2021?

Whatever position he plays, Seminoles fans will be eagerly watching to see if the hometown kid can make a national name.

Photo courtesy of Arturo Holmes/Getty Images.