Former FSU standout Barnes is NBA Rookie of the Year
NBA photo
Chuck Walsh
Seminoles.com
Scottie Barnes, who helped lead Florida State to the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and went on to become the No. 4 overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Draft, has been named the 2021-22 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year as announced by the NBA.
Barnes received 48 first place votes and finished first in the voting by a select global group of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.
He is the first Seminole player to be named the NBA Rookie of the Year since Dave Cowens was named the Co-Rookie of the Year in 1971. Cowens shared the award with Geoff Petrie of Portland.
Barnes proved to be the most well-rounded rookie in the NBA this season as he averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks in 35.4 minutes in 74 games. He led all NBA rookies in minutes played, ranking third in points and rebounds and fifth in assists, steals and blocks.
He is the sixth rookie in NBA history to average at least 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steals and 0.7 blocks in a season since steals and blocks became official statistics in the 1973-74 season. Only Barnes, Alvan Adams (1975-76), Lionel Simmons (1990-91), Chris Webber (1993-94), Lamar Odom (1999-00) and Ben Simmons (2017-18) and amassed the numbers Barnes did as a rookie this season.
A starter in every game he played, Barnes became the first rookie in Raptors history to record at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 250 assists in a season. He set the franchise rookie record for offensive rebounds with 195, which was a team high and ranked 15th among all NBA players.
Barnes, 20, was named the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month twice (February and March/April). He was also selected to participate in the Clorox Rising Stars at NBA All-Star 2022. Barnes helped the Raptors improve to 48-34 this season after finishing 27-45 last season, with Toronto earning the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
On March 18, Barnes posted career highs of 31 points and 17 rebounds to go with six assists against the Los Angeles Lakers, becoming the first rookie to have at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a game since Blake Griffin in March 2011. Barnes finished with 28 points, 16 rebounds and five steals against the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 28, becoming the first rookie to reach 25 points, 15 rebounds and five steals in a game since Shaquille O’Neal in March 1993.
“Scottie Barnes has a rare combination of IQ, effort, humility and competitive spirit that is going to allow him to be a tremendous NBA player,” said Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton. “Seminole Nation could not be prouder of what he has accomplished. The most exciting thing is that his career is just getting started. Great things are ahead for Scottie Barnes.”
During his one season at Florida State, Barnes averaged 10.3 points (third on the team), 4.0 rebounds (fifth), 4.1 assists (first), 1.5 steals (first) and 0.4 blocked shots (fourth). He earned All-American Honorable Mention honors as named by the Associated Press and was named as the ACC Freshman of the Year, the ACC Sixth Man of the Year, earned all-ACC Third Team honors, and was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team and was an All-ACC Tournament Second-Team selection.
