Growing up as the son of a basketball coach and a former Division I player at Illinois State, Marist’s Charles Barnes knew there were high expectations on him.
But Barnes’ father, Charles Sr., made sure his son was ready for the spotlight. And now the younger Barnes has accomplished something dad never could.
“I feel like there could be pressure on me because of who my dad is, but he really prepared me to the point where there isn’t,” Barnes said. “Just by working me out and making me better. He said his job as my dad is to make sure I’m better than him.
“He went to Whitney Young and he never made it to the state championship game. So, he told me, ‘If I didn’t make it, you’ve got to make it and you’ve got to win it.’ So, this is one of those moments where I feel like he helped me surpass him, even.”
Indeed, Barnes — the 2025-26 Daily Southtown Boys Basketball Player of the Year — is a state champion. He led the RedHawks to the program’s first state title in his lone season at Marist after transferring from De La Salle.
Barnes scored a game-high 13 points as Marist dispatched of defending champion Benet in stunningly dominant fashion, winning 44-28 in the Class 4A state championship game.
As time ran out on that victory, Barnes found his dad, who’s an assistant coach, on the bench.
“He’s at practice with me every day, giving me pointers,” Barnes said. “On the car ride home, he’s giving me tips. To be able to run to him on the bench and give him a hug as I realized we’re winning a state championship, it’s a one-of-a-kind feeling.”
And coach Brian Hynes quickly realized he was getting a one-of-a-kind player when Barnes arrived at Marist, praising his unselfishness.
While Barnes had many high-scoring games, he did it with the kind of efficiency where the big totals sneak up on you.
Like when he scored 31 points in a sectional final win over Homewood-Flossmoor.
“’Chuck’ is that player who I never realize how many points he has,” Hynes said after that game. “He missed a dunk and I was going to kill him. I wanted to pull him from the game.
“Then I looked up and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s got 22. Never mind.’ He’s like a quiet assassin.”
Barnes ended up averaging 17.2 points and 5.6 rebounds.
Stepping into a team full of veterans who had played together the last three seasons, Barnes credited senior guard Akir Finley with giving him the confidence to assert himself to the point where he became Marist’s leading scorer.
“They call Akir ‘The President,’” Barnes said. “That’s his nickname in school. He’s kind of the catalyst. He really brought me into the fold on a lot of things within the team.
“Everybody loves him, and having him in my corner, I feel like that was instrumental to adapting to the Marist environment.”
Fellow senior forward Stephen Brown confirmed that bringing in Barnes was a seamless transition.
“He fit in so well,” Brown said. “He was like one of the guys right away. A lot of us have known him for a long time. He made a huge difference for our team and helped us get where we wanted to go.”
Now, Barnes is searching for his next home.
The recruiting process has been a roller coaster and he’s considering going to prep school if the right opportunity does not arise, but he’s starting to hear from more Division I schools.
“It’s been frustrating at times,” Barnes said. “Junior year, I was heavily recruited. I had a lot of unofficial visits, going everywhere. Then, there was a period where I didn’t really have much at all.
“Now, it’s picking back up. The ups and downs have been challenging, but I think this state championship is a statement. I think I’ve shown that I’m going to play at a high level.”
