When TU men's basketball coach Eric Konkol was planning to revamp the roster, Isaiah Barnes is exactly the type of player he had in mind.

And so far, Barnes is just what Konkol and his staff envisioned.

"Isaiah is a guy that we targeted in the recruiting process," Konkol said. "He came from a very good program. We had familiarity with him, having seen him play. There's a number of us who've worked in the upper midwest. Just familiar with his background.”

Not getting the chance to play enough at Michigan after two seasons there, Barnes knew he needed a change. And TU knew it needed players like the 6-foot-7, 200-pound Barnes.

"We were looking for a wing player who had size and athleticism, and also versatility. Isaiah's a great kid. He is a worker," Konkol said. "He's shot the ball extremely well in practice. He's a guy that, he's got a little fake and then explodes to the rim. He's got extreme pop, and he's got a really, really bright future. And he can help us this year."

Already a fixture in the starting lineup at the three, or small forward, Barnes is averaging 13.5 points and 8.0 rebounds through two games this season.

Quite simply, Barnes is the type of transfer portal player that Tulsa has to get in order to succeed.

Convincing Barnes, who was originally a 4-star prospect out of Chicago's Simeon Career Academy and ranked No. 102 by Rivals, to come to Tulsa didn't turn out to be difficult.

In Tulsa's pre-season press conference, the three players there: Barnes, P.J. Haggerty and Jared Garcia, when asked why the came to Tulsa, all said "Coach Konkol."

"My leaving Michigan was nothing more than searching for the opportunity," Barnes said. "And Konkol, he offered that. He offered opportunity. And that's all I really wanted. That's all I really was asking for."

Barnes is taking advantage of his chance to play. At Michigan, playing behind highly touted players, he played 15 games in 2022-2023, averaging 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds in 6.1 minutes per game. He played two games as a freshman who redshirted the previous season.

"I feel like I just bring a lot of versatility," Barnes said. "Switching, guarding multiple positions. Getting out in the open floor. Stretching the floor as well. Handling the ball. Getting my teammates the ball. I've always seen myself as a versatile player. Kind of do a little bit of everything.”