Player Preview Series: Rich Barron showed toughness and poise as a freshman. What's next for him?

"To do what he did was really exciting. He just had some really big-time moments for us in big-time games. Rich has a really bright future ahead of him."

By virtually any measure, Rich Barron exceeded expectations in his first season at Providence. A Big East All-Freshman Team selection, Barron shot just shy of 43% from beyond the 3-point arc (42.9) and helped stabilize the Friar offense when he was inserted into the starting lineup in early February.

After adding Barron to the starting lineup midway through the Big East portion of the schedule, PC won four of its next five games. Barron started 10 of the last 12 games he appeared in (he sat out an NIT game against Boston College due to injury) and shot 20-47 from three during that stretch. It was quite a strong showing for a freshman.

Regardless of his age, Barron’s shooting numbers were impressive:

• He shot 43% from three in Big East games

• He ranked in the 89th percentile nationally in points per possession and 92nd in points per possession in halfcourt sets

• He ranked in the 93rd percentile in catch and shoot situations, 96th on all jumpers, and 92nd when left unguarded on jump shots

• He shot 11-20 after timeouts, ranking in the 97th percentile

There was a poise to Barron’s game a season ago — poise that led to him hitting critical shots in the second half of a Big East Tournament Quarterfinals win over Creighton, knocking down from distance in a wild atmosphere at home against Georgetown, and also making big shots on the road at Xavier and Butler.

Perhaps nothing better exemplifies the calm with which Barron played as a true freshman than his 9-14 shooting in late clock situations (4 seconds or less on the shot/game clock). It’s a relatively small sample, but that number put him in elite company on a points per possession basis — 100th percentile, in fact.

Here are some of those shots from last season:

Originally committed to Kim English when English was the head coach at George Mason, Barron proved to be one of the biggest surprises on the 2023-24 Friars.

Another surprise came after the season concluded when word broke that he played virtually all year with a torn labrum.

“He was probably playing through more pain than he even led on,” PC assistant coach Matt Palumbo said when reflecting on Barron’s rookie year. “It really hurt him, but he knew we didn’t have the numbers. He hung in there, and not only did he play, he played really well. That is a true testament to how tough he is and his character.”

Even prior to the news of his injury breaking, Barron endeared himself to Friartown thanks to a game that’s perfectly suited for the fanbase: physical, tough, seemingly unbothered by any stage, and overlooked heading into college.

Barron earned the trust of the coaching staff by season’s end, getting anywhere from twenty to thirty minutes a night over the final month of the season. He rarely turned the ball over (17 turnovers in 522 minutes) and consistently punished teams that collapsed on Devin Carter and Josh Oduro.

“That confidence, to come into the Big East as a freshman — to do what he did was really exciting. He just had some really big-time moments for us in big-time games. Rich has a really bright future ahead of him,” Palumbo said.

He missed all of the team’s summer workouts recovering from the torn labrum, but there remain elements of his game that he didn’t get to show as a freshman.

The coaching staff was encouraged by the passing ability he flashed in practice, even prior to last season, but Friartown didn’t see it on the floor in year one (18 total assists). That’s something Palumbo hopes will show up more as Barron’s career progresses.

“He’s a really good passer, and I think that will continue to come out as he gets more confidence. He throws passes with his left hand and his right. He can make any pass in the book, so we’ll probably see more of that down the line.”

For as impressive as his freshman season was, there are areas Barron can improve to become a more complete player. He had 45 rebounds last season (1.5 per game), shot 40% (8-20) from inside the arc in Big East play, and ranked in the 43rd percentile defensively. Barron showed flashes of being able to score around the bucket late in the year, but still shot 48% on attempts at the rim, ranking around the 25th percentile in the country.

Regardless, with shooting at such a premium, Barron figures to be a critical piece for the Friars in 2024-25. Even more impressive than his overall 3-point percentage last year was the fact that he shot equally well from the wings and the corners — blisteringly well:

Even if Barron can’t sustain the tremendous shooting numbers of a season ago with extended playing time and more attempts, he figures to be a critical part of Providence’s future for years to come.

As for the coming season, Barron should bring a level of reliability and efficiency that will be essential for a program transitioning from leaning so heavily on Carter and Oduro to spreading the wealth across a deeper team. Barron showed that he didn’t require a lot of touches to be impactful, as he made the most of seemingly every opportunity presented to him a season ago.

For all of the depth PC added this offseason, Barron should have an important role thanks to the type of shooting ability and stability he brought last year, combined with any potential gains he makes as a passer, rebounder, and defender.