Pitt’s Marlon Barnes Jr. Commits to New School

Former Pitt wing Marlon Barnes Jr. is on the move.

Barnes committed to Evansville recently, after taking an official visit to check out the Aces program.

Last night Evansville received a commitment from 6-6 Guard Marlon Barnes Jr. @UEAthletics_MBB

He is from Cleveland, OH and was a 3-star recruit out of high school.

Spent his Freshman season at Pittsburgh and played in 8 games. pic.twitter.com/6SavTOWVdW

— Jevin Redman (@Jevin_13) April 26, 2025

Evansville competes in the Missouri Valley Conference, where it went 8-12 last season, tying for eighth in the league.

Barnes had also heard from the following schools when he entered the portal: Akron, Louisiana Tech, Toledo, Albany, North Carolina A&T, Valparaiso, Boston, and Longwood..

Barnes spent two years at Pitt, redshirting his first season, and appearing in eight games in his redshirt freshman campaign this year. He played a key role for Pitt in its upset win at Ohio State, checking in late in the game and fouling the opponent in a key moment. Barnes made a three pointer against Boston College, logging his first career collegiate points.

Barnes is a 6-foot-6, 190-pound wing out of Cleveland, Ohio. He was a three-star prospect playing for Brush High School, where he averaged 13 points per game. Barnes was ranked as the No. 9 player in the state of Ohio at the end of his prep career. He was the first prospect in the class-of-2023 to commit to the Panthers, choosing Jeff Capel’s program in January 2022.

“Marlon has done a good job, he’s going to be a good player for us,” Capel said during his freshman year. “It’s going to take a little bit more time, he’s got to get a little bit stronger, and really that off-guard forward position, there are a lot of guys. But he can make a shot, he’s a really good athlete, he’s an unbelievable kid, he wants to be really good, and he’s a worker.”

Stay tuned for more transfer portal updates on Pittsburgh Sports Now throughout the spring and follow The Portal Report for more!