Boys basketball: Sean Barnett last of a line of Brunswick shooters

The baby Barnett brother is 17 now, a smidgen from being 6-foot-5 and a Happy Meal shy of a muscular 200 pounds. Following in the footsteps — and airspace — of older brothers Marquis, a 2021 Brunswick graduate who just finished playing college basketball at Presbyterian and Kent State, and 2024 Gazette MVP Quinn, now a sophomore starring at Walsh University, Blue Devils senior Sean Barnett is ready to repeat as an All-Gazette selection and help his team to another Greater Cleveland Conference title and deep tournament run. "We're a basketball family," said Barnett, who recently earned first-team All-Northeast Inland District Division I honors in football as Brunswick's quarterback. "All my brothers played football when they were younger, but we're basketball, basketball, basketball. "When I was younger, I was more of a slasher. I did a lot of floaters. Going from middle school to high school, I've always been a shooter." Barnett, a fun-loving sort who led Medina County with 88 3-pointers while shooting an incredible .489 from deep as Brunswick went 19-5 overall, won the GCC and advanced to the D-I district finals, then went out of his way to make a point to his older brothers. "I'm the best shooter in my family," he said, unprovoked. "Quinn and I argue about it all the time. Marquis still thinks he's the best, but I don't know why, and Quinn admitted I was better when he went off to college." The high-flying Barnett, who averaged 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting .550 from the field and .773 at the line and earning first-team All-Northeast Inland District and special mention All-Ohio honors as a junior, will have to do even more for the Blue Devils this season. With 6-6 All-Gazette center Aidan Shaker now at Walsh University, Barnett will be Brunswick's tallest player and called upon to defend a lot of centers and power forwards this season. The good news is twofold: Barnett is capable of playing any position on the floor for stretches, both offensively and defensively, and he'll have plenty of help offensively from good friend, point guard and returning Gazette MVP Trey Drexler, an Indiana University Indianapolis recruit who enters his senior season with 1,225 career points. "Sean can guard one through five and play offensively one through five," Brunswick coach Joe Mackey said. "When you have players like that, it makes your job a lot easier as a coach. "Offensively, he needs to be an elite shooter again, but he's going to have to do more. He's got to make others around him better and become a much better rebounder." Family history says Barnett will have an outstanding senior year. Marquis averaged 24.2 points as a 12th-grader, while Quinn (19.7), Tommy Morgan and Drexler had the Blue Devils on the verge of a state semifinal berth in 2024 before eventual state champion St. Ignatius came from behind to steal a regional championship. "We want to win states," Barnett said. "Individual goals don't matter as long as we're winning. I just want to win and have fun with my guys." One thing Barnett won't have to worry about is his college choice, as he has accepted a scholarship to play at D-II Flagler in St. Augustine, Fla. The Saints went 15-13 overall last season and 9-9 in the Peach Belt Conference, which includes teams like Augusta, Clayton State, North Georgia and South Carolina Aiken. "Their thing is feel, fit and love," Barnett said. "Coach (Blake) Selland is doing a great job of recruiting, and I feel like I fit perfectly there. They space the floor, drive and kick and play fast. It feels great to have a future home." As Brunswick prepares for its season opener tonight, Barnett is still rounding into basketball shape after his second season of football at Brunswick. After starting at quarterback as a junior, he wasn't going to play this fall but had a change of heart a week before the season began. "I felt a little guilty because it's wrong showing up late and getting a starting job," he said. "I was worried what my teammates would think, but it's a forgiveness and trust thing. Some people were hurt that I left and came back, but everybody forgave me and we were ready to play football." Barnett's personality and natural charisma aided in that process, and the Blue Devils went on to finish 5-6 overall and 4-3 in the GCC. "After everything that went on this summer, we thought it would be a little more difficult for him to work his way back into the good graces of his teammates," Brunswick football coach Kole Carter said. "It took one scrimmage. The kids gravitate toward him. He's a great kid who can be goofy, but he knows when it's time to get serious and go to work. He's just someone people like to be around." Barnett has the kind of size and athleticism college football coaches love, and he probably would have gotten a scholarship in that sport if he had expressed a desire to play beyond high school. He made an official visit to Akron, attended Marshall's spring game and drew a lot of interest from D-II schools, but basketball is his first love. Once Barnett committed to Flagler, he was able to enjoy his final year of high school football, but it was a little more difficult for Drexler and Mackey, who watched home games from the Brunswick Auto Mart Stadium stands. "I was a little worried," Drexler said. "Some of those games he had 20 carries, so it was a little nerve-racking at times." "When I go to games everybody looks at me every time he takes a hard hit, but I love watching him compete," Mackey said. "When you start thinking about injury, that's when you get hurt. It was the right decision to play football. He's too athletic not to play." Now it's time to go full bore into basketball. Primarily a 3-point shooter and finisher at the rim as a junior, Barnett has been working on his post moves, mid-range game and moving without the ball going into his senior season. "He's one of the best shooters in the state, and last year was proof of it," Drexler said. "This year he's gotten a lot better with the ball in his hands. He's a lot stronger. Defensively he's super strong, and he's rebounding a lot better. "He's gotten a lot better at creating for others. That's the one thing I've really noticed. He's not really shaking people, but he's taking them off the bounce. He takes one or two dribbles and goes by people. He's our most versatile player by far." The plan is to use Barnett in the post more when he's being defended by a smaller player. When a big man is on him, he'll start outside and shoot a 3-pointer over a sagging defender or go by an aggressive one. "The Barnetts get better weekly their senior years," Mackey said. "He's coming off football, so he hasn't done a ton of preseason work and might not be the typical Sean Barnett for the first month, but after that he'll catch up. "We want him to be a more complete offensive player, so we've asked him to really work at getting to the basket and making the right decisions. When Sean is on his game, we've got a chance to be really good." Barnett, who won't turn 18 until June 17 and easily could be a high school junior, will never get a big head for one simple reason: Brothers Marquis and Quinn won't allow it. "They taught me everything," he said. "I went through tears, blood, sweat, everything. We would always be arguing and competing and fighting. They were hard on me, but that's why I am who I am today." Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4046 or rnoland@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @RickNoland on X.