Dartmouth Forward Barnett Leads Big Green

Tonight, as the Columbia men’s basketball team takes on Dartmouth, it will need to take an added interest in post defense. Usually the Lions are strong in the post, but Dartmouth junior forward Alex Barnett will be looking to make a statement in the paint and on the boards.

Last season, as a sophomore, Barnett was one of the top forwards in the Ivy League, earning the status of honorable mention All-Ivy. He was fourth in the league in rebounding and pitched in 11.8 points per game, making him the second leading scorer for the Big Green that season.

This season, the 6’6” St. Louis native has been making even more noise in the league than he did last year, which is saying quite a lot. Barnett’s junior season has been nothing short of spectacular through the first 20 games. He has been the major contributor for the Big Green on both offense and defense, which makes him that much more of a threat for opposing teams.

The Dartmouth junior is second in the Ivy League in scoring this season, trailing Brown guard Mark McAndrew by only one point. He has done most of his scoring inside the arc, as he has converted on 133 field goal attempts—top in the Ancient Eight. This fact doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have range, though. The big man has tallied 18 three-point field goals this season as well. That’s less than one per game, but it provides his skill set with an added element. Thus, it would be unwise to leave him open with a good look from behind the arc.

Barnett is not solely an offensive force. With 139 rebounds, Barnett leads the league in both total rebounds and rebounds per game at 6.9. Columbia’s John Baumann has gathered 134 rebounds this season but has played in one more game than has Barnett. Of Barnett’s 139 rebounds, 106 of them—over 76 percent—have been defensive rebounds, which also lead the league.

When he is not seizing opponents’ misses, Barnett has been affecting their shots, blocking 27 this season, good for second-most in the league. With that kind of résumé, he will definitely make it things difficult for the Lions in the post.

Through six games of league play, Barnett has not showed any signs of slowing down, averaging 17 points against conference foes. If Columbia is unable to contain him on offense and get around him on defense, he will likely make the Lions pay, as he does to most teams who don’t take care of him.