Barnes eyes revenge on Kidd-Gilchrist from H.S days

North Carolina and Kentucky, given their status in the hierarchy of college basketball, have historically mixed it up for players. However, there’s not as much overlap as you might think on their current rosters. One of the last occasions they tangled was with Davis. Just when the Heels began to make headway in July 2010, UK closed the door and locked down the top prospect.

 

 

However, there is a rivalry between the Heels’ best player, Barnes, and UK’s most heralded freshman, Kidd-Gilchrist. Plus, former Wildcats star John Wall thinks that specific battle will be important to the outcome.

"The key is going to be the 3 position," Wall said. "I think it’s going to come down to Gilchrist and Barnes; that’s the matchup."

We have already seen this play out before.

In June 2009, this matchup was the one everyone was clamoring for and it first took place at the NBAPA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, Va. Barnes came to camp as the nation’s top senior and Kidd-Gilchrist (then known as Michael Gilchrist) carried the same hype as the top underclassman in America.

Kidd-Gilchrist went at Barnes and it was written that he won a first-half battle. However, he would later turn an ankle converting his fourth "and-one" bucket of the contest. Before doing so, Barnes had made headway in the matchup and had a chance to put Kidd-Gilchrist’s team away in overtime, but his jumper didn’t go down. Kidd-Gilchrist’s team won and he finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and a variety of blocks. Barnes had 14 in the loss.

Three days after camp ended, Barnes was still smarting from the loss to Kidd-Gilchrist and the reality that the junior had gotten the better of him. My phone rang. It was Barnes. "The next time I see him I’ll know his tendencies," Barnes said. "That won’t happen again."

Barnes is like an elephant — he hasn’t forgotten that matchup. Rest assured he’s given it plenty of thought and looked back on one of the greatest matchups in the history of the NBAPA Top 100 Camp. At the camp, Kidd-Gilchrist’s team would go on to defeat Jared Sullinger‘s squad in a championship game that featured half a dozen McDonald’s All-Americans. The point guard on Kidd-Gilchrist’s team at that camp? It was none other than Kendall Marshall.-ESPN