Cat Barber
Cat Barber | |
|---|---|
| Born | Anthony Ynique Barber July 25, 1994 United States |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Known for | Basketball career at NC State and professional basketball |
Anthony Ynique "Cat" Barber (born July 25, 1994) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States currently playing for the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). He competed in collegiate basketball for three seasons at NC State, where he achieved first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) recognition during his junior year.
High school career
Raised in Virginia near NBA legend Allen Iverson, Barber attracted comparisons to Iverson both in playing style and appearance. While attending Hampton High School, he averaged 21.0 points per game as a sophomore. In 2011, Barber stood out as the sole underclassman to be named to the All-Eastern Region first team within the Peninsula District. Leading Hampton to a 27–6 season and a Virginia State Championship in 2012, he posted an average of 21.3 points per contest and was honored as the Class AAA Player of the Year. During his senior season, Barber recorded a 22–6 record with an average of 20.2 points per game, concluding his high school tenure with a total of 2,097 points scored. Additionally, he competed in AAU basketball under coach Boo Williams.
Barber earned selection to the prestigious McDonald's All American Game, where he contributed 11 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals at the 2013 event hosted at Chicago’s United Center. He also secured a bronze medal at the 2012 Nike Global Challenge.
College career
Ranked as the fourth-best point guard in the 2013 recruiting class, Barber committed to North Carolina State University on September 15, 2012, following recruitment efforts by assistant coach Rob Moxley. His recruitment process also included consideration of offers from the University of Kansas and the University of Alabama.
In the 2015–16 season, Barber earned first-team All-ACC honors while leading the conference with averages of 24 points and 39 minutes per game. He was named to the midseason watchlist consisting of 35 players for the prestigious Naismith Trophy. Throughout his three-year tenure at NC State, Barber appeared in 104 games, averaging 15 points, four assists, and three rebounds across 31 minutes per game. He concluded his collegiate career ranked 13th on NC State’s all-time scoring list with a total of 1,507 points.
On March 22, 2016, Barber announced his intention to enter the NBA draft, foregoing his remaining college eligibility.
Delaware 87ers (2016–2017)
After going undrafted in the 2016 NBA draft, Barber participated with the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2016 NBA Summer League. On August 31, 2016, he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, but was waived on October 24 following two preseason appearances. Shortly thereafter, on October 29, he joined the Delaware 87ers, an affiliate team of the 76ers competing in the NBA Development League.
Greensboro Swarm (2017)
Barber was traded on February 3, 2017, to the Greensboro Swarm, an affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, in exchange for guard Aaron Harrison.
New Basket Brindisi (2017)
On July 26, 2017, Barber inked a deal with Italian squad New Basket Brindisi. His stint with Brindisi concluded on November 21, 2017, after participating in seven games.
Return to the Swarm (2017–2018)
Barber rejoined the Greensboro Swarm on November 29, 2017. During his time there, he appeared in 29 contests and averaged 16.9 points, along with contributions of 4.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game.
Ironi Nahariya (2018)
On March 27, 2018, Barber inked a deal with the Israeli club Ironi Nahariya to complete the season. On April 25, he delivered a season-best performance by scoring 25 points, hitting 5 of 8 three-pointers, and adding five assists in a narrow 77–81 defeat against Hapoel Gilboa Galil.
Third tenure with the Swarm (2018–2019)
Barber returned to play for the Greensboro Swarm for the 2018–19 campaign.
Erie BayHawks (2019)
Barber was traded to the Erie BayHawks on February 21, 2019, in exchange for John Gillon.
Second spell at Ironi Nahariya (2019)
On March 28, 2019, Barber rejoined Ironi Nahariya, signing for the remainder of that season. He achieved a personal best with 36 points on April 15, shooting 11-of-22 from the field, alongside three rebounds and two assists in a 93–96 overtime loss to Hapoel Gilboa Galil. Across ten games, he averaged 16.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per contest.
College Park Skyhawks (2019–2020)
Barber signed with the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League on November 8, 2019. He earned G League Player of the Week honors on February 3, 2020, after posting averages of 26 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists over a three-game stretch. On March 10, he tallied 29 points along with six rebounds and six assists in a loss to Raptors 905.
Mitteldeutscher BC (2021)
Barber joined German Basketball Bundesliga side Mitteldeutscher BC on February 18, 2021.
Guelph Nighthawks (2021)
On April 15, 2021, Barber signed with the Guelph Nighthawks competing in the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
Atlanta Hawks / Return to College Park (2021–2022)
In October 2021, Barber returned to the College Park Skyhawks, where he averaged 13.1 points, led the team with 5.8 assists, and contributed 3.9 rebounds over fourteen games (.445 FG%, .367 from three-point range, .759 FT%). He secured a ten-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks on December 25 before rejoining College Park on January 4.
Return to Guelph Nighthawks (2022)
Barber was brought back by the Guelph Nighthawks on May 12, 2022.
Budivelnyk (2022)
On August 11, 2022, Barber signed with BC Budivelnyk, competing in the European North Basketball League.
Third return to College Park (2022–2023)
Barber was reacquired by the College Park Skyhawks on December 27, 2022.
Scarborough Shooting Stars (2023)
On April 11, 2023, Barber joined the Scarborough Shooting Stars, concluding the season as the all-time leading scorer in CEBL history with a total of 1,108 career points and securing the CEBL Championship title.
Porto (2023–2024)
Barber signed with Porto of the Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol on July 16, 2023.
Return to Scarborough (2024)
Barber re-signed with the Shooting Stars on April 24, 2024; however, due to commitments overseas, he officially rejoined them on June 21, 2024. On July 13, he scored all of his team's final 24 points during a 103–92 victory over the Edmonton Stingers, setting a new CEBL record for most consecutive points scored by one player within a single game.
Cibona (2024)
On September 6, 2024, Barber agreed to terms with Cibona, participating in both the Croatian League and the ABA League. Later, on October 30, he signed with the San Diego Clippers, but was waived shortly after on November 8.
Sporting CP (2024–present)
On November 28, 2024, Barber joined Sporting CP, competing in the Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol.
Personal life
Barber is the son of Pamela Barber and has an older sister as well as a daughter. He pursued a major in social work during his studies. His sister Pam bestowed upon him the nickname "Cat," inspired by his swift and nimble movements when he was young.
NBA
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Atlanta | 3 || 0 || 4.3 || .000 || — || .000 || 1.0 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || .0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 3 || 0 || 4.3 || .000 || — || .000 || 1.0 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || .0
College
|- | align="left" | 2013–14 | align="left" | NC State | 36 || 18 || 24.2 || .401 || .261 || .696 || 2.0 || 3.5 || .6 || .0 || 8.5 |- | align="left" | 2014–15 | align="left" | NC State | 35 || 33 || 31.7 || .439 || .380 || .733 || 3.3 || 3.7 || .8 || .0 || 12.1 |- | align="left" | 2015–16 | align="left" | NC State | 33 || 33 || 38.7 || .434 || .361 || .865 || 4.6 || 4.5 || .6 || .1 || 23.5 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 104 || 84 || 31.3 || .428 || .347 || .793 || 3.3 || 3.9 || .7 || .0 || 14.5