Maybe Rick Barry’s son is a chip-off-the-old-block after all.
Seldom used during his first two years at Kansas, Scooter Barry – the son of the Hall of Famer – was the first Jayhawk off the bench in Saturday’s 88-82 exhibition basketball win over the Italian National Team.
The 6-3 point guard – Otis Livingston, Jeff Gueldner and Kevin Pritchard also played that spot Saturday – scored six points on two of three shooting and also had three assists in 14 minutes of work.
Barry is hoping to contribute big-time this year.
“I hope so. I hope so,” repeated Barry. “I’d like to shock everybody, including the coaches. I want to show people I can play. Coach is going to play whoever he thinks can lead the team the best.
“Coach said he needs somebody who will pass to the open man and play defense. He doesn’t care about the point guard scoring. I’m going to think about what he said and try to do those things.
“The job is in reach,” added Barry. “I need to go out and get it. Otis is very talented, but being new he’s still struggling to learn the plays. I think I have an edge on him in that regard.
“Lincoln (Minor) is in the same situation as Otis, being new. I don’t think coach wants to play Kevin at point guard. He can do so many other things well.”
KU coach Larry Brown, who has tried Pritchard, Minor, Gueldner, Livingston and Barry at the point, indicated after the win he’s most impressed with Pritchard and Minor, but indeed, would rather play them at shooting guard.
“We’ve got to have the situation clearly defined,” Brown said of the position.
Of Livingston, who totaled two points and three assists, Brown said, “He’s got a lot of problems with me right now. I’m the toughest defensive player he’s played against…in terms of my attitude. All I want him to do is defend and pass the ball. Just be a Mark Turgeon. He’ll be fine, he’s a great kid, he’s just gotta relax.
“He’s not a natural point guard and Kevin (eight points) is not,” said Brown. “They’ll have to take turns. Lincoln athletically compares a lot with Ced (graduated Cedric Hunter). He made some big plays.”
What about Barry?
“Pressure hurts him,” said Brown, referring to pressure defenses, not pressure situations. “I was happy for Scooter tonight. He tries to do the right thing. You can make adjustments during time outs and Scooter will do it. You can always count on him to do what you ask him to do.”
Brown didn’t wawnt folks to forget Milt Newton, the junior guard/forward, who missed the game because of a two-game suspension for a minor infraction, involving the handling of billing for personal travel between Newton and a travel agency.
“He’s played well at practice,” said Brown of the 6-4 junior.
Brown was tickled to see senior forward Archie Marshall back in action.
“It’ll take Archie sometime,” Brown said. “I’m happy to see him out there.”
KU will scrimmage at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Johnson County Community College. The Jayhawks open the regular season on Nov. 27 against Chaminade in Maui, Hawaii.