As a high school senior, Barnette was a key member on the team that won the 1951-52 state championship. That team, along with the 1952-53 team, recently was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.
The 1951-52 Middies finished 25-1, the only loss was to Hamilton. In the state tournament, the Middies raced through the districts and regional and beat Steubenville, the No. 1 ranked team in the state, 63-53 in the state final.
While at Miami, Barnette led the team to the 1954-55 Mid-American Conference championship. The following season, he earned first-team all-MAC and honorable mention all-American honors. He was the first from his family to attend college, according to his nephew, Duane Barnette.
Following his three years as a starting guard for Miami, Barnette spent three years in the Navy where he made the fleet and all-Navy team. From there, he played for four years earning worldwide notoriety as the Dribbling Wizard, playing for the Harlem Globetrotters.
He was inducted into the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, the MHS Hall of Fame in 2000 and Miami’s Hall of Fame in 2002.
Barnette, the youngest of 10 children, is survived by his wife, Barbara; four children, Cherie, Don Jr., Nikki and Andrea; two grandchildren; brother Van Barnette and sister Helen Barnette.
His nephew said funeral arrangements are pending but his uncle will be buried in California.
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