Firing on all cylinders

Incoming LCA basketball recruit lights up court from three

During his last three basketball seasons at Liberty Christian Academy (LCA), shooting guard Jay Barber distinguished himself as one of the best 3-point shooters in Virginia, collecting a total of 1001 varsity points and averaging 47 percent from the 3-point line during his sophomore season in high school.

His talents caught the attention of Liberty University Head Coach Ritchie McKay, who offered him a spot on the basketball team for the 2017-18 season.

“Jay is a very persistent, hardworking player who is arguably one of the best shooters in the region,” McKay said.

Barber’s love for basketball began at a young age.

Growing up he tried several different sports, but none cultivated his competitive drive like basketball.

“I told my parents that my dream was to play college basketball,” Jay Barber said.

“So I started working really hard — doing ball handling every day.”

As a reward for his hard work, Barber’s father — former Liberty University Athletic Director Jeff Barber — bought him his first leather Evolution basketball.

“That basketball was my most prized possession,” Jay Barber said.

“I even used to sleep with it.”

In 2009 at age 11, Jay Barber trained under famous shooting coach Bruce Kreutzer, to whom Jay Barber credits most of his success.

The training sessions were not what Jay Barber expected.

In fact, for the first thirty minutes, he did not even touch a ball. The drills only involved shooting stance, footwork and shooting form.

“He picked me apart like Mr. Miyagi,” Barber said.

“He taught me these insane parts of shooting that I had never thought of.”

After finishing, Coach Kreutzer offered to train Jay Barber further, knowing he would need multiple sessions to perfect his shot.

“At first I did not like it,” Jay Barber said.

“I thought it was too much for me. I was just trying to have fun. But when I was getting my elbow in the right spot, my feet in the right position and my hand snapping straight down, it became really fun because I was making shots. That’s when I knew I really wanted to dive into basketball and commit myself.”

A few months later, Barber visited Coach Kreutzer in Atlanta for three days.

During his time with Kreutzer, Jay Barber continued to develop his shot.

The result of his hard work spoke for itself on the court five years later, right after his freshman season.

During his freshman year at LCA, Jay Barber did not receive much playing time on the varsity team.

He occasionally made it onto the court, but only if his team was winning or losing by a large deficit.

“During my freshman year, I was scared to make mistakes,” Jay Barber said.

“I didn’t want to get in because I was afraid that I would miss a shot.”

That mentality disappeared during his sophomore season.

During his sophomore season, Barber experienced high-level varsity basketball, competing against highly-ranked basketball programs such as Virginia Episcopal School, Hargrave Military Academy and Carlisle School.

Since his father was Liberty’s athletic director at the time, Barber could utilize Liberty’s facilities.

While many high school basketball players shot hoops in their driveways, Barber practiced on Liberty’s campus — a resource that greatly contributed to his game.

“Liberty was my whole world,” Barber said.

When Jeff Barber hired McKay in 2007, Barber instantly became best friends with McKay’s two sons, Luke and Gabriel.

His friendship with them helped cultivate a strong relationship with McKay.

“I’ve known Coach McKay since I was 8 years old,” Barber said.

“But I never thought about him as a coach I needed to impress.”

Throughout high school, Barber continued to use Liberty’s facilities.

That all changed in the fall semester of 2016 when his father resigned.

“It was like having your whole world flipped,” Jay Barber said.

“Since I was committed, I had to take a lot of time to evaluate (my decision).”

Despite his father’s resignation, Barber had confidence that playing at Liberty remained the best decision.

“I’m not mad at Liberty or anything,” Jay Barber said.

“I never wanted to leave. I wanted to play for Coach McKay.”

Although playing at the collegiate level was in sight, Barber feared his father’s position was the reason McKay recruited him.

“I have a great deal of respect for Jay given his father’s position and the inherent burden of expectation,” McKay said.

Those doubts disappeared when McKay told Barber he still wanted him despite his father’s resignation.

After Liberty hired former Baylor Athletic Director Ian McCaw to take Jeff Barber’s position, Barber encountered difficult situations on the court.

Before his dad resigned, fans from other schools teased him about his weight, trying their best to disrupt his ability to play.

During a game against Jefferson Forrest, while Barber shot free throws, the opposing crowd began to chant something much more personal: ‘Baylor! Baylor!’

“It hit me really hard because it was the first time a crowd had done something really personal to me,” Barber said.

“My whole family was there. I had to make a decision there that I was going to be mentally tough.”

Through that experience, Barber clung to the belief that his identity existed beyond the realm of basketball.

“Basketball is about praising the Lord, and the more you win, the more platforms you get,” Barber said. “I just want people to see little reflections of the Lord in me through basketball.”

Despite personal attacks, Barber remained calm and refrained from acting out of anger.

“I watched him mature and develop as a person and a player for the last 9-plus years,” McKay said.

“I’m very proud of what he has accomplished in high school and really look forward to coaching him in college.”

Smith is a sports reporter.