Harrison Barnes is coming back for sophomore season

[LilBTheBasedGod]

via PTI

[JellyBean]

Cool.This kid is going to be something special if he stays in school 2-3 more years. Heck if he stays for all four years, it is really going to help his game and UNC.

[Maga_1]

Between all the freshmans i think he's the most well prepared to become an NBA player, but glad to hear that he's going to stay .. UNC getting scary for next season.

[CelticBaller]

He better he had a horrible freshman season

[wang4three]

Cool.This kid is going to be something special if he stays in school 2-3 more years. Heck if he stays for all four years, it is really going to help his game and UNC.

I don't think staying that long would help him that much. He definitely could use another year under his belt, but 2 or 3 more may be too much, unless he's just really loving college..which I can understand.

[KG215]

From what I've gathered (99.9% of my info comes from the Inside Carolina pay board) Barnes and his mother have both said a decision has not been made yet.

Now, last night word started to spread on Twitter that he would announce on Tuesday his intentions to return to UNC for his sophomore season. However, tonight it is being reported that Henson will announce by Saturday and Barnes will make his decision in the next 1-2 weeks.

It does seem, though, that Barnes is leaning towards coming back. I wasn't just "speculating" when I was claiming that all three of Barnes, Henson, and Zeller returning was a real possibility. Many "connected" people have felt if UNC failed to win a national title this year Barnes would return and, as a result, so would Henson and Zeller.

If all three do leave, though, I will not be surprised. However, if all three return, UNC is going to be SCARY good next year.

[GOBB]

I'll wait til the deadline to declare. I dont buy anyones words right now. Too early.

[KG215]

I'll wait til the deadline to declare. I dont buy anyones words right now. Too early.

Same here.

What I find funny is there is a 15ish page thread on a Duke message board about this and on UNC's board the thread is only about 5 or 6 pages long. Duke fans are absolutely freaking out about Barnes possibly returning.

[StateProperty]

He better he had a horrible freshman season
que?

[KG215]

He better he had a horrible freshman season

Apparently you completely ignored the entire second half of the season. By tourney time he was one of the 5-10 best players in the country.

[LilBTheBasedGod]

He better he had a horrible freshman season

http://files.sharenator.com/lolwut_RE_America_is_Retarded-s533x594-102700.jpg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AJFWX-yLgY)

(click on the picture)

[Qwyjibo]

Why?

He's basically a guaranteed top 5 with strong potential to go top 3 in such a weak draft. Sure he may like school and all but it's dumb to risk that kind of guaranteed money unless he's from a filthy rich family.

I'm sure once he talks to some informed people he'll realize that the smart move is to declare.

[LilBTheBasedGod]

Why?

He's basically a guaranteed top 5 with strong potential to go top 3 in such a weak draft. Sure he may like school and all but it's dumb to risk that kind of guaranteed money unless he's from a filthy rich family.

I'm sure once he talks to some informed people he'll realize that the smart move is to declare.

lockout

[Qwyjibo]

lockout
And? When was the last time a lockout killed an entire year in a sport? He'd still have his guaranteed contract.

Top 5 guaranteed money is huge. Especially in a draft with no clear-cut #1 guy. If you can put on a good show in the pre-draft combine and workouts, #1 pick money is still up for grabs.

[LilBTheBasedGod]

And? When was the last time a lockout killed an entire year in a sport? He'd still have his guaranteed contract.

Top 5 guaranteed money is huge. Especially in a draft with no clear-cut #1 guy. If you can put on a good show in the pre-draft combine and workouts, #1 pick money is still up for grabs.

Well maybe hes not like LeBron James and he actually wants to become a better player instead of making money

[CelticBaller]

15.7 pts 6 rbs on 42% from the field is mediocre, especially from an "nba ready" guy like him. those last few games he had showed us how much of a beast he could be

[rosonviyavong]

The two most NBA ready freshmens (Sullinger and Barnes) are staying another year ..

[StateProperty]

15.7 pts 6 rbs on 42% from the field is mediocre, especially from an "nba ready" guy like him. those last few games he had showed us how much of a beast he could be
You went from "he had a horrible freshman season" to "his stats are mediocre for an nba ready guy". There's a huge difference there. You should do more than look at stats too.

17.1 ppg over the last 28, 19.7 ppg over his last 18.


Insidehoops...where 15.7 ppg for a freshman is a horrible season.

[Jailblazers7]

You went from "he had a horrible freshman season" to "his stats are mediocre for an nba ready guy". There's a huge difference there. You should do more than look at stats too.

17.1 ppg over the last 28, 19.7 ppg over his last 18.


Insidehoops...where 15.7 ppg for a freshman is a horrible season.

Dude should be begging UNC to let him keep his scholarship after that kind of season.

[KG215]

More smoke coming from the "Barnes, Henson, Zeller all three returning" fire.

This is borderline pre-2009 season (when Hansbrough, Lawson, Ellington, and Green came back) great for UNC fans.

The potential excitement for next season also increased when I realized I may have underestimated how much of a beast James McAdoo could be by mid-season.

Pretty much, imagine this year's team with everyone back but a year older; a full season of Marshall as the starting PG; McAdoo replacing Justin Knox (who was pretty awful the last month of the season); a healthy Reggie Bullock, and incoming freshman P.J. Hairston giving UNC two legitimate three point shooters to go along with Barnes and McDonald who can also shoot the three.

[irondarts]

He better he had a horrible freshman season
:facepalm :facepalm

[KG215]

Well, Henson and Zeller made it official today that they will be returning next year. Barnes is still undecided but most people seem to believe he'll eventually announce he's coming back, possibly by Saturday.

I'm not sure if UNC can win a national championship without Barnes, but Zeller and Henson are probably more crucial to UNC's ceiling next season. Had they left, then that would've left the Heels with a post rotation of James McAdoo and then one undecided player. That undecided player will more than likely end up on the team and will either be Desmond Hubert or Matthew Cannon.

Cannon is a 6'10" 2*/3* who has some small major and mid-major offers but would be a preferred walk-on if he came to UNC. He's an in-state kid, so him coming to UNC as a walk-on isn't out of the question despite holding multiple D1 offers.

Desmond Hubert is the other option. A top 3* top 150 player who is down to UNC and Maryland. He's supposed to make his announcement after his last visit, which just so happens to be at UNC. That, on top of the several other recent visits he's made to North Carolina games has a lot of UNC "insiders" saying he'll be a Tar Heel next year. He's also said he has no problem redshirting, and with Zeller and Henson returning, and the McAdoo coming in, that may be a real possibility. Hubert's "only" a 3* but he has a shit ton of offers from some big time programs.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recruiting/player-Desmond-Hubert-87011

I know about 99.9% of the people that read this don't give a damn about any of this, but as a UNC fan it's hard to explain how excited I am about the potential of next season.

[Clippersfan86]

This is why the Clippers are banking on next years pick and traded this one away. That's 2 top 5 prospects supposedly staying till 2012 now.

[bdreason]

Bad decision from a business perspective. He'll go first round. If you'll go first round, you declare. Just my opinion.

[GOBB]

I'll wait for the deadline.


Bad decision from a business perspective. He'll go first round. If you'll go first round, you declare. Just my opinion.

He'll go first rd no matter what year he comes out.

[KG215]

Bad decision from a business perspective. He'll go first round. If you'll go first round, you declare. Just my opinion.


I'll wait for the deadline.
He'll go first rd no matter what year he comes out.

I wish people would quit assuming Barnes has actually said he was coming back. I'd link you to an article from UNC's board, but it's a pay only message, and you'd only get to read like two lines. The article, though, was put up today, and the headline specifically said, "Henson and Zeller to return; Barnes still undecided."

While the consensus seems to be Barnes is coming back, all that is coming from is one guy from Iowa on Twitter, and UNC "insiders" posting on a message board. Barnes is still (technically) undecided.

[UConnCeltics]

Looks like we can have some really loaded teams next year. UK, UNC, and OSU are going to be nice. If Texas brings their guys back they will be pretty damn good too. Duke loses some ballers, but that class is legit. Louisville, Syracuse, and Pitt should be stacked as well. We might have a damn good year next year talent wise.

[Harrison_Barnes]

Hes still undecided.. I have a feeling he is going to declare though.

[VoltFaceCons]

Kemba Walker is better :rockon:

[KG215]

[QUOTE=UConnCeltics]Duke loses some ballers, but that class is legit.

I don't care how "legit" that class is. They are losing their three best players. Two of those were seniors (one a Final Four MOP, the other a 1st team AA) and the third is a top 3 pick int he upcoming NBA draft. That's quite a bit of talent.

I'm being dead serious when I wouldn't rank Duke any higher in the preseason poll than 15-20.

[GOBB]

:oldlol: 15-20, you being a UNC fan I can understand why that was said. Being as ridiculous as it is.

[KG215]

:oldlol: 15-20, you being a UNC fan I can understand why that was said. Being as ridiculous as it is.

It's not ridiculous, unless this incoming recruiting class is just absolutely ridiculously sick. They should not be a top 10 preseason team.

They lost Irving, Nolan Smith, and Kyle Singler. They don't have another Kyrie Irving to run the point unless Quinn Cook is some major sleeper. Austin Rivers can probably somewhat replicate Nolan Smith's production, but I don't think Rivers will be as efficient of a scorer/distributor as a true freshman as Nolan was as a senior. Kyle Singler kind of sucked the last half of the season but they don't have anyone on their roster right now that's close to being what he was.

Duke lost way too much talent to a preseason top 10 team. Just like myself and a lot of other UNC fans were saying we had zero business being ranked preseason top 10 the last two years. You don't rank a team that high that loses that much talent based on what you perceive as a really good recruiting class.

It's not me saying that about Duke because I'm a UNC fan. I would think that even if I wasn't a UNC fan. If Ohio State was losing Sullinger along with some of their seniors, then I would be saying the same thing about them if people were lauding them as a top 10 team based off their recruiting class and some solid but unproven returning talent.

[Black Joker]

to be fair, if we lost sullinger, we don't have nearly the recruiting class that duke has to replace their players, to be considered for top ten. considering last time i checked we had the 14th ranked class, and no superstar recruits, just some very solid 4 stars.

[KG215]

to be fair, if we lost sullinger, we don't have nearly the recruiting class that duke has to replace their players, to be considered for top ten. considering last time i checked we had the 14th ranked class, and no superstar recruits, just some very solid 4 stars.

I was just going off of ESPN's class rankings since Scout and Rivals don't have 2011 team rankings yet. ESPN has Ohio State with the 4th best class and Duke is 3rd.

But, if Ohio State had lost Sullinger along with Diebler, Lighty, and Lauderdale, then I'd still think they had no business being a preseason top 10 team.

[baseketball4life]

Forwards Tyler Zeller and John Henson have already announced their return for the 2011-12 season. Now freshman forward Harrison Barnes will announce his return as well. Barnes is reportedly enrolling into summer classes at the University. Multiple sources say the official announcement will probably come no later than Thursday.

looks like its true. and barring injury we're cutting down the nets next year :rockon:

http://isportsweb.com/2011/04/11/barnes-returning/

[KG215]

Sorry, but I'm going to need a more reliable source than isportsweb before I truly believe it. That site is basing that off rumors of Barnes enrolling in summer classes. No credible sites, though, have anything about Barnes officially saying he's coming back.

However, that isportsweb article does provide even more smoke from the "Barnes to return" fire.

[baseketball4life]

Sorry, but I'm going to need a more reliable source than isportsweb before I truly believe it. That site is basing that off rumors of Barnes enrolling in summer classes. No credible sites, though, have anything about Barnes officially saying he's coming back.

However, that isportsweb article does provide even more smoke from the "Barnes to return" fire.
If I was him I'd turn pro to be honest, selfishly I want him to return to school but right now if he declared he'd be a top 5 lottery pick surely I believe, and I doubt he can or will raise his stock if he returns for another season. If he returns for another season he can only hurt himself in many ways IMO.

[Nastradamus]

It's not ridiculous, unless this incoming recruiting class is just absolutely ridiculously sick. They should not be a top 10 preseason team.

They lost Irving, Nolan Smith, and Kyle Singler. They don't have another Kyrie Irving to run the point unless Quinn Cook is some major sleeper. Austin Rivers can probably somewhat replicate Nolan Smith's production, but I don't think Rivers will be as efficient of a scorer/distributor as a true freshman as Nolan was as a senior. Kyle Singler kind of sucked the last half of the season but they don't have anyone on their roster right now that's close to being what he was.

Duke lost way too much talent to a preseason top 10 team. Just like myself and a lot of other UNC fans were saying we had zero business being ranked preseason top 10 the last two years. You don't rank a team that high that loses that much talent based on what you perceive as a really good recruiting class.

It's not me saying that about Duke because I'm a UNC fan. I would think that even if I wasn't a UNC fan. If Ohio State was losing Sullinger along with some of their seniors, then I would be saying the same thing about them if people were lauding them as a top 10 team based off their recruiting class and some solid but unproven returning talent.

You add another Plumlee up front, the best of the bunch arguably too, and the 2 senior Plumlees gain a year of experience. Curry,Rivers and Cook is still a pretty damn good backcourt too. If harrison Barnes could be a preseason all american, Duke can be a preseason top 10 based on freshmen. Rivers is sickly good.

[KG215]

You add another Plumlee up front, the best of the bunch arguably too, and the 2 senior Plumlees gain a year of experience. Curry,Rivers and Cook is still a pretty damn good backcourt too. If harrison Barnes could be a preseason all american, Duke can be a preseason top 10 based on freshmen. Rivers is sickly good.

"You add another Plumlee up front, the best of the bunch arguably too..."

That's pure speculation. Rankings should not be based on players who have never played a minute of college basketball. And it's not like the other two Plumlee brothers have done anything to instill much fear into opposing front courts. They are very good athletes with terrible back to the basket games.

Harrison Barnes had no business being a preseason All-American and UNC had no business being a preseason top 10 team the last two years. After the 2009 season they lost four starters to the NBA Draft and, for some stupid reason, still garnered a top 10 ranking the following preseason. Then, after making the NIT, they get another preseason top 10 ranking based off their recruiting class.

Rivers is sickly good, but he's a black-hole. More than likely Cook isn't going to be as good as Irving. I also don't think Rivers is going to be as good as a true freshman as Nolan Smith was this past season as a senior.

In other words, Duke isn't upgrading at any position, lost two seniors (one a Final Four MOP, the other a 1st team AA), and lost freshman who is the potential #1 overall pick in the draft. However, by the end of this season, Duke was a borderline top 10 team. So, how exactly do they deserve a preseason top 10 ranking for '11-'12 if they don't upgrade at any position, lose as much talent as they lost, and all you can do is speculate on an incoming recruiting class?

[Goliath Uterus]

Yea, I doubt it. Though it would be cool if Jones, Sully, and Barnes all stay.

[ihatetimthomas]

Can these big name college stars staying be a result of the possible lock out tomorrow? If Barnes is really staying this draft is getting weaker by the week.

[KG215]

Yea, I doubt it. Though it would be cool if Jones, Sully, and Barnes all stay.

You do realize all indications - right now - point towards Barnes returning for his sophomore season, right?

[pharoahtwon]

I live in the Durham/Chapel Hill area. Barnes still may come out. Alot of GMs are really down on him. I was in Portsmouth, and many think he'll get hurt in terms of his draft position if he goes back to school. More then one called him Terrence Morris with a jumper. Check out some mock drafts. The concensus on nbadraft.net has him around 18.

[Harrison_Barnes]

I live in the Durham/Chapel Hill area. Barnes still may come out. Alot of GMs are really down on him. I was in Portsmouth, and many think he'll get hurt in terms of his draft position if he goes back to school. More then one called him Terrence Morris with a jumper. Check out some mock drafts. The concensus on nbadraft.net has him around 18.

Guarantee you that he gets drafted top 5 if not top 3.

[KG215]

I live in the Durham/Chapel Hill area. Barnes still may come out. Alot of GMs are really down on him. I was in Portsmouth, and many think he'll get hurt in terms of his draft position if he goes back to school. More then one called him Terrence Morris with a jumper. Check out some mock drafts. The concensus on nbadraft.net has him around 18.

Are GMs actually telling you that he'll hurt his draft position if he goes back? Seeing as how he actually improved quite a bit from the beginning of his freshman year to the end of it, and given his incredible work ethic, it's hard to believe he wouldn't perform at an even higher level next season.

And the actual nbadraft.net mock draft doesn't even have him in their 2011 mock draft. The "consensus" mock draft is random Joe Blows who have signed up for an account and made a mock. If you click on the "recent user consensus" it has Harrison going 35th overall (2nd round). In other words, the consensus mock draft on that site doesn't mean shit. Barnes is easily a top 10 pick and probably would be top 5 if he comes out.

[Grinder]

Dang, UNC is stacked next season.

Marshall
Strickland / McDonald
Barnes / Bullock
Henson / Hairston
Zeller / McAdoo

Preseason #1 for sure.

[KG215]

Dang, UNC is stacked next season.

Marshall
Strickland / McDonald
Barnes / Bullock
Henson / Hairston
Zeller / McAdoo

Preseason #1 for sure.

Not sure if you were listing out the "depth chart" by position, but Hairston won't be the back-up PF. He's a 6'5" SG with deep range on his shot. He'll play mostly SG and SF. However, as big and strong as he is, he could see some time at the 4 in a bind. UNC may add Desmond Hubert as well, who's a 3* top 120 prospect with offers from UNC, Maryland, Ohio State, Pitt, Villanova, Virginia Tech, Wake, Georgia Tech, UConn, and some other schools. Hubert has it narrowed down to UNC and Maryland and should announce sometime this week. If he commits to UNC then he'll give UNC a very solid four man rotation in the front court.

[ukfan22]

Apparently, the NBA has cancelled the Summer League. All signs point to a lockout. Bad for the NBA, good for College Basketball. I'm now allowing myself to believe Jones and Knight could return. Imagine:

Knight/Teague
Lamb/Liggins
Miller/Gilchrist
Jones/Wiltjer
Davis/Vargas

The UK/UNC game could be absolutely insane.

[Mr. Incredible]

UNC is loaded next year. They have potential to be one of the best ever in UNC history. :bowdown:

[KG215]

UNC is loaded next year. They have potential to be one of the best ever in UNC history. :bowdown:

You have to be careful when throwing out "best ever" and "in UNC history" in the same sentence. I know you said one of, but even then you have to be careful. I mean, they could win it all next year, and I still wouldn't be completely sold on them being better than the '05 or '09 teams.

They only thing they'll have on either one of those teams is potential depth. Both '05 and '09 only went about 6.5 or 7 deep (if the .5 makes sense) before a big drop off in quality of player. However, next year UNC may bring McAdoo, Bullock, McDonald, and Hairston off the bench. I'd venture to say all four could and probably would be starters on 98% of the teams in the nation.

[UwishUhadWall]

It's definitely no sure thing that Barnes is going back. I've been following it closely as my team is in the bottom 5 and in desperate need of a 3. I see different reports everyday. Including today wheringe I'm reading that he's coming out and is making the announcement tonight at 7. My thinking is, if he was going back to Chapel Hill why wouldn't he make the announcement with Henson and the other kid? As a teammate thing

[RedBlackAttack]

I'm hearing conflicting reports, as well. These strong rumors all started when a blogger posted that Barnes had enrolled in fall 2011 classes. That seems to be the basis for everyone assuming that he is coming back.

He may announce that he is going back to UNC, but I'm still not completely sure and I'm definitely not going to take the word of some anonymous person with supposed inside information.

It has been rumored that the decision will come tonight, though... I guess we will find out shortly.

[KG215]

I'm hearing conflicting reports, as well. These strong rumors all started when a blogger posted that Barnes had enrolled in fall 2011 classes. That seems to be the basis for everyone assuming that he is coming back.

He may announce that he is going back to UNC, but I'm still not completely sure and I'm definitely not going to take the word of some anonymous person with supposed inside information.

It has been rumored that the decision will come tonight, though... I guess we will find out shortly.

The rumors go back further than that. I'm a big UNC fan and have been following this entire "saga" on a UNC pay board VERY closley. . I know it doesn't make me any more credible than you or anything. However, it started with Marty Tirrell. Tirrell is a radio show host from Iowa was the first to claim Barnes would chose UNC over Duke when he was trying to decide a school. He was saying he had "very solid sources" and started saying "Barnes to UNC" when everyone and their dog seemed to think Barnes was a Duke lock. So, he gained quite a bit of credibility at that time. Then, maybe just a couple of days after the season he tweeted something along the lines of "Barnes will be back at UNC next year" and kept tweeting similar things with similar confidence.

Then some reports broke about Barnes enrolling for summer classes and applying for a summer internship. The first story about him enrolling in summer classes that I recall seeing posted on the UNC board was from isportsweb, a site I've never heard of.

[baseketball4life]

a gun to my head right now if I had to correctly predict what Barnes does or I'd get shot to death I'd say he's coming back to school.

[KG215]

It's definitely no sure thing that Barnes is going back. I've been following it closely as my team is in the bottom 5 and in desperate need of a 3. I see different reports everyday. Including today wheringe I'm reading that he's coming out and is making the announcement tonight at 7. My thinking is, if he was going back to Chapel Hill why wouldn't he make the announcement with Henson and the other kid? As a teammate thing

I'd be VERY surprised there's an announcement by Barnes tonight since UNC is supposed to be having their basketball banquet. Most feel if he were to make an announcement at the banquet it would be to say he's returning.

On another note, UNC added Desmond Hubert to their 2011 recruiting class today. He's "only" a 3* recruit but check out his offers...

UNC
UConn
Ohio State
Pitt
Villanova
Notre Dame
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest
Georgia Tech
Virginia
NC State
Xavier
Providence
St. Joseph's

That's pretty damn impressive for a 3* recruit.


http://rivals.yahoo.com/basketballrecruiting/basketball/recruiting/player-Desmond-Hubert-87011

[RedBlackAttack]

The rumors go back further than that. I'm a big UNC fan and have been following this entire "saga" on a UNC pay board VERY closley. . I know it doesn't make me any more credible than you or anything. However, it started with Marty Tirrell. Tirrell is a radio show host from Iowa was the first to claim Barnes would chose UNC over Duke when he was trying to decide a school. He was saying he had "very solid sources" and started saying "Barnes to UNC" when everyone and their dog seemed to think Barnes was a Duke lock. So, he gained quite a bit of credibility at that time. Then, maybe just a couple of days after the season he tweeted something along the lines of "Barnes will be back at UNC next year" and kept tweeting similar things with similar confidence.

Then some reports broke about Barnes enrolling for summer classes and applying for a summer internship. The first story about him enrolling in summer classes that I recall seeing posted on the UNC board was from isportsweb, a site I've never heard of.

Good to know.

So, in your personal opinion, what do you think Harrison chooses to do? Obviously, as a Cavaliers fan, I have a serious vested interest in this lottery being filled with as much talent as possible.

It hurt us when Perry Jones made his decision... Sullinger, too. Things could still be salvaged, though, if T. Jones, Knight and Barnes all come out. If any one (or, worst case, all three) stay in school, we are pretty f#cked with these two lottery picks.

[KG215]

Good to know.

So, in your personal opinion, what do you think Harrison chooses to do? Obviously, as a Cavaliers fan, I have a serious vested interest in this lottery being filled with as much talent as possible.

It hurt us when Perry Jones made his decision... Sullinger, too. Things could still be salvaged, though, if T. Jones, Knight and Barnes all come out. If any one (or, worst case, all three) stay in school, we are pretty f#cked with these two lottery picks.

I honestly don't know at this point. Even just a few days ago I would have told you he was coming back. Now, though, the longer this drags on, I feel like he's gone. On the flip-side, though, a small part of me thinks he's just waiting until after UNC basketball banquet tonight to make his decision.

[baseketball4life]

Just come out and say it already Harrison,


Harrison Barnes will be a Tar Heel for at least one more year.

The 6-foot-8 freshman has decided to return to Chapel Hill for his sophomore season, multiple sources very close to Barnes told me tonight.


http://www.thehoopsreport.com/article.aspx?id=700

[KG215]

Still not going to believe ANYTHING that doesn't come from Barnes himself.

[UwishUhadWall]

The rumors go back further than that. I'm a big UNC fan and have been following this entire "saga" on a UNC pay board VERY closley. . I know it doesn't make me any more credible than you or anything. However, it started with Marty Tirrell. Tirrell is a radio show host from Iowa was the first to claim Barnes would chose UNC over Duke when he was trying to decide a school. He was saying he had "very solid sources" and started saying "Barnes to UNC" when everyone and their dog seemed to think Barnes was a Duke lock. So, he gained quite a bit of credibility at that time. Then, maybe just a couple of days after the season he tweeted something along the lines of "Barnes will be back at UNC next year" and kept tweeting similar things with similar confidence.

Then some reports broke about Barnes enrolling for summer classes and applying for a summer internship. The first story about him enrolling in summer classes that I recall seeing posted on the UNC board was from isportsweb, a site I've never heard of.

The thing with that Marty Tirrel guy is that he's given three different dates for the announcement. The last was Tuesday...last Tuesday; a week and a half ago. None of it has happened. That really damages his credibility imo.

At this point, I don't think even Barnes knows wtf he's going to do. He's got 9 more days to make a decision.

[StateProperty]

He's officially coming back according to Seth Davis (and I'm sure others).

[KG215]

Yep!! It's officially official as of this morning!!! It was reoprted with a write-up and all on Inside Carolina, which means no BS this time. It's for real.

Now, can we just talk about how damn loaded UNC is going to be next year?

Kendall Marshall
Dexter Strickland
Harrison Barnes
John Henson
Tyler Zeller

Reggie Bullock (who will actually be healthy this year)
James McAdoo
Leslie McDonald
P.J. Hairston
Desmond Hubert

Go ahead, let it sink in.


http://northcarolina.scout.com/2/1065324.html

[bballer]

It's a wrap. We got the title on lockdown

[baseketball4life]

Yep!! It's officially official as of this morning!!! It was reoprted with a write-up and all on Inside Carolina, which means no BS this time. It's for real.

Now, can we just talk about how damn loaded UNC is going to be next year?

Kendall Marshall
Dexter Strickland
Harrison Barnes
John Henson
Tyler Zeller

Reggie Bullock (who will actually be healthy this year)
James McAdoo
Leslie McDonald
P.J. Hairston
Desmond Hubert

Go ahead, let it sink in.


http://northcarolina.scout.com/2/1065324.html
figured, feel bad for Harrison doubt he'll go top 10 whenever he enters now. But on the plus side he'll win a NCAA title :D

[HB40TheNextStar]

Getting a text from IC 6 am in the morning saying the Black Falcon is back -- better than morning sex.

[GOBB]

Preseason top 4...not sure where I'd rank them. I got OSU #1, UNC could be #2 if Kentucky losing B.Knight/T.Jones, then I'd put Kentucky after UNC. If Kentucky keeps those two they are #2 then UNC #3. 4th would be Texas depending on Jordan Hamilton returning or not.

I'm loving the kids staying in school. I bet we wont see a Butler/VCU Final 4 again.

[Dolphin]

Preseason top 4...not sure where I'd rank them. I got OSU #1, UNC could be #2 if Kentucky losing B.Knight/T.Jones, then I'd put Kentucky after UNC. If Kentucky keeps those two they are #2 then UNC #3. 4th would be Texas depending on Jordan Hamilton returning or not.

I'm loving the kids staying in school. I bet we wont see a Butler/VCU Final 4 again.

Exactly. Hopefully we get something closer to the NCAA tournaments before the last two years.

[KG215]

Preseason top 4...not sure where I'd rank them. I got OSU #1, UNC could be #2 if Kentucky losing B.Knight/T.Jones, then I'd put Kentucky after UNC. If Kentucky keeps those two they are #2 then UNC #3. 4th would be Texas depending on Jordan Hamilton returning or not.

I'm loving the kids staying in school. I bet we wont see a Butler/VCU Final 4 again.

Preseason top 4? Thanks for the laugh. Unless Knight and Jones both return for Kentucky, then they are - without a doubt - preseason #1. If Knight and Jones both return, then they are no worse than preseason #2.

I don't give a rat's ass about Ohio State returning Sullinger, Craft, and DeShaun Thomas, and whatever recruits they're bringing in. They still lost Diebler, Lighty, and Lauderdale. On the other hand, UNC returns EVERYONE, literally, and bring in a very solid recruiting class.

Today has been like Christmas in April for me and I'm in one of "these" moods, so let me break it down for you...


STARTERS
PG Kendall Marshall (6'3", SO): He only got better and proved he's an elite point guard after being inserted into the starting lineup. He'll come into next year with a better jump-shot (which wasn't terrible by late season) and be better at finishing at and around the rim. He showed he wasn't as slow as a lot of people though because he was able to get to the hole pretty regularly, he just had trouble finishing. That should be less of a problem next year.

SG Dexter Strickland (6'3", JR): Dexter was the MVP in the Elite Eight loss to Kentucky. Knight still had a nice game, but Dex did a very good job defending him and making him work to get his points. On top of that he actually showed some ability to score on the offensive end. He's the type of player who's such a good on-ball lockdown defender, that whatever offense we get from him is a bonus.

SF Harrison Barnes (6'8", SO): No need to go into much detail about him. He'll be a worthy and legitimate preseason NPOY candidate along with Sullinger. His game only improved as the season progressed and he became a cold blooded assassin in big games and in big moments. Think of it this way...Barnes was a lock to be a top 3-5 pick in the 2011 draft, but he's returning to play on a loaded UNC team. UNC was a legitimate Final Four contender next year WITHOUT Barnes. Instead, they are getting a NPOY caliber player back to an already loaded roster.

PF John Henson (6'10", JR): Between his freshman and sophomore seasons he added about 15 pounds to his frame. He was still a little on the light/weak side this year, but he'll have another offseason in UNC's highly regarded strength and conditioning program, and should be another 10-15 pounds heavier next year. Even if he's at the same weight, he'll still be arguably the most disruptive and best frontcourt defensive player in the nation. His offensive game showed a lot of improvement this year, and that should get only better with another offseason to work on his game.

C Tyler Zeller (7'0", SR): Probably one of the 3-5 best big men in the nation next year. There aren't many true weaknesses in his game. He can score with his back to the basket, does an excellent job of running in transition, can hit the 15-17 foot jumper, and he's a very underrated defender. Teams up with Henson to give UNC the best frontcourt in the nation.


BENCH
F James McAdoo (6'8", FR): True freshman that I've heard multiple scouts say would be an immediate impact freshman if he was going anywhere besides UNC. Unfortunately and fortunately, he's coming into a team returning all of the best frontcourt in the country. He gets the luxury of being an impact 6th man for a loaded team ala Marvin Williams in '05 and Ed Davis in '09. He's a 5* top 5-10 recruit who garnered MVP honors in 2/3 of the high school all-star games. He may end up being eerily similar to Marvin Williams, but just a little more explosive and athletic, and maybe not as smooth. But, he's still a stretch PF, with explosive athleticism, and can score in a variety of ways. He can play the 4, 5, and even the 3 in emergency situations.

G Leslie McDonald (6'4", JR): I have him listed in the 7th slot but by season's end I wouldn't be surprised if the next two guys off the bench are getting more minutes. However, this is a very nice player to bring off the bench. He's got a sweet stroke from three and on his mid-range jumper. He's a nice player who is a great fit as an offensive spark off the bench on a championship caliber team.

G/F Reggie Bullock (6'7", SO): I think a lot of people forgot about Bullock being on the team this past season. Which is understandable since he didn't light the world on. He did have a handful of 10-15 point games where he hit several threes and showed flashes of being a solid defender. Then, about 10-12 games into the season we learned he hurt his knee pretty bad in an early season game and was playing on a bad wheel. In fact, it was a torn MCL, that he had to have surgery on after shutting it down for the rest of the season with about 10 games to go. However, this is a kid with NBA potential who should be 100% next year. He was heralded as a long-range sniper coming out of high school, and I wouldn't be the least big surprised if he's seeing starters minutes and taking a lot of Strickland's minutes at SG by February of next season. You insert him into the lineup at SG with Marshall, Barnes, Henson, and Zeller, and UNC has a lineup of 6'3"-6'7"-6'8"-6'10"-7'0" with very few flaws.

G P.J. Hairston (6'5", FR): Going into the season he will more than likely be the 9th man on the team. Again, the NINTH man. However, this is a kid who was a 5* top 10-20 player in the 2011 class. He has deep range on his jumper and can fill it up. You probably couldn't find more than 5-7 other teams in the nation that he wouldn't be a starter or have a big role on next year. But, again, he might be UNC's 9th man.

C/F Desmond Hubert (6'9", FR): The "forgotten" member of the 2011 class, partially due to his commitment coming just a few weeks ago. He's "just" a 3* but look at his offer sheet: Ohio State, UConn, Pitt, Notre Dame, Villanova, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Virginia, Xavier, and Providence. That's the offer sheet of a 4 or 5 star player. Yet, he'll be the 9th or 10th man and 4th in the frontcourt rotation next year.

Now, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if UNC doesn't come out of the gate lighting the world on fire next season. Roy Williams will have to figure out how to juggle minutes for a team that could conceivably go 10 deep of quality talent. There will be a bit of a feeling out process as players learn their role with the new freshmen, but this team should be extremely scary by March. No one can reasonably justify not having them as their preseason #1 unless Knight and Jones both return for Kentucky.

[BIG FURB]

Roy Williams will have to figure out how to juggle minutes for a team that could conceivably go 10 deep of quality talent

Nothing to figure out, Roy will do what he always does when he has great depth. Expect mass substitutions and telling his kids to run, run, run with the intent of wearing down opposing squads with sheer strength of numbers.

[Jailblazers7]

Good thing UNC has some experience in that starting 5 cause that line-up looks a little thin in talent and depth. :lol

[baseketball4life]

good post KG215.... I really think Hairston is the best shooter on the team next year and I don't think it's cloes either, his range is filthy deep unreal deep. He is a beast, unfortunate he may not see the floor but 12 minutes a game next year. But juggling the minutes is going to be rocket science for Roy Williams. James McAdoo is immediately one of the best players in the entire nation but won't see more than 20ish minutes per game. Maybe 25 if he's lucky. Barnes' draft stock will take a massive massive hit, and unless Roy finds a way to play him upwards of 35 minutes which won't happen he'll likely be just under 30 than his stats will die as well. Poor guy, he probably cost himself millions by returning to school, but what do I care as a UNC die hard, only thing that can bring this team down from walking away with the ACC title and national title is the issue of TOO MUCH talent and not getting guys enough time to find a rhythm which would mess with the team. I really love Kendall Marshall running this team, Keller, Henson, McAdoo nuts just nuts. I hope to see Hairston get good run though, he is probably the best scorer on this team yet will be struggling to see the floor.

[KG215]

Good thing UNC has some experience in that starting 5 cause that line-up looks a little thin in talent and depth. :lol

Yeah, UNC is screwed next year if someone suffers a season-ending injury. Just too thin and there's not much talent to speak of on the bench. :oldlol:

On a serious note, look at that second unit (and I'm replacing Bullock with Strickland to give them a PG and because I think Bullock may really be our best option at SG by season's end) is it not a borderline NCAAT bubble team by itself?

PG Strickland
SG McDonald
SF Hairston
PF McAdoo
C Hubert

[KG215]

good post KG215.... I really think Hairston is the best shooter on the team next year and I don't think it's cloes either, his range is filthy deep unreal deep. He is a beast, unfortunate he may not see the floor but 12 minutes a game next year. But juggling the minutes is going to be rocket science for Roy Williams. James McAdoo is immediately one of the best players in the entire nation but won't see more than 20ish minutes per game. Maybe 25 if he's lucky. Barnes' draft stock will take a massive massive hit, and unless Roy finds a way to play him upwards of 35 minutes which won't happen he'll likely be just under 30 than his stats will die as well. Poor guy, he probably cost himself millions by returning to school, but what do I care as a UNC die hard, only thing that can bring this team down from walking away with the ACC title and national title is the issue of TOO MUCH talent and not getting guys enough time to find a rhythm which would mess with the team. I really love Kendall Marshall running this team, Keller, Henson, McAdoo nuts just nuts. I hope to see Hairston get good run though, he is probably the best scorer on this team yet will be struggling to see the floor.

I like all of your points except Harrison's draft stock taking a major hit due to not getting enough minutes, leading to his numbers taking a hit. If Harrison plays at an All-American level all season long and UNC wins a national championship or makes a Final Four run, then he'll still be a top 5 pick in the 2012 draft.

[RedBlackAttack]

You know... I was so excited when the Cavs acquired that second lottery pick in the Mo Williams/Baron Davis deal. While everyone was saying that this was going to be a weak draft class, I really didn't think so. Williams, Irving, P. Jones, Sullinger, Barnes, Walker, Knight, T. Jones, Burks... Then, you had foreign prospects like Kanter, Vesely, Valanciunas, Motiejunas...

Hell, I just listed 13 solid prospects off the top of my head. I looked at this draft class as a possible sleeper in its depth at the top.

Now, though, things have been decimated. Those two lottery picks don't look nearly as exciting as they once did. The depth at the top has been lessened dramatically. When is the last time so many virtual locks to be Top 5 picks opted to go back to school? I can't remember it ever happening like this... At least recently.

I'm not as worried about the Cavs' top pick, because I'm still thinking that it will be a Top 2 pick and that will mean either Irving or Williams. It is that second lottery pick which will probably be around No. 8 which has been really hurt.

With Sullinger, Perry Jones and Harrison Barnes coming back, every guy on every draft board has been moved up three spots. So, while we could have ended up with... Say... Derrick Williams and Brandon Knight, it looks more and more likely that Knight has been pushed into the Top 5 and we will probably be taking a chance on a foreign player... Or maybe Burks will slip to us.

It is just so discouraging. Why did this trend of going back to school for the top guys have to start this year? :banghead:

[KG215]

Getting a text from IC 6 am in the morning saying the Black Falcon is back -- better than morning sex.

I woke up around 8:30 a.m. (CST) and had two or three texts with links to the article on IC about Barnes returning. I honestly can't think of many better ways to wake up. I had basically completely reading IC (premium board) after all the drama became too much. Sifting through 20+ page threads for a morsel of "inside" information became too much with school being so busy right now. About two weeks ago I basically said screw it and just told myself "it'll happen (one way or the other) when it happens." I have a buddy who's a premium member on IC as well, so I still got some updates from him from time to time, but waking up and hearing Barnes was returning was a surprise to me since I stopped reading the marathon threads.

[baseketball4life]

I like all of your points except Harrison's draft stock taking a major hit due to not getting enough minutes, leading to his numbers taking a hit. If Harrison plays at an All-American level all season long and UNC wins a national championship or makes a Final Four run, then he'll still be a top 5 pick in the 2012 draft.
I don't know man, I remember Rashad McCants after his sophmore year was projected to go top 5 as he was averaging 20 points a game, he then came back to school and was on a STACKED UNC team, that won the title, you definitely recall so stacked Marvin Williams wasn't a starter, he was behind Jawwad Williams and Jackie Manuel. McCants minutes and ppg dropped, I believe he went to 15 ppg. He then was picked mid first round, and that was still considered a reach by many by the T-Wolves. This may not be the best example but it is my fear because I saw it happen to Rashad. At the same time Marvin didn't start for the Heels but went top 3... so you prolly are right.

[KG215]

I don't know man, I remember Rashad McCants after his sophmore year was projected to go top 5 as he was averaging 20 points a game, he then came back to school and was on a STACKED UNC team, that won the title, you definitely recall so stacked Marvin Williams wasn't a starter, he was behind Jawwad Williams and Jackie Manuel. McCants minutes and ppg dropped, I believe he went to 15 ppg. He then was picked mid first round, and that was still considered a reach by many by the T-Wolves. This may not be the best example but it is my fear because I saw it happen to Rashad. At the same time Marvin didn't start for the Heels but went top 3... so you prolly are right.

Barnes projects MUCH better on the next level than McCants ever did. I loved Rashad but he was a 6'4" SG who didn't show much interest in defense. Not to mention he was a bit of a head-case. I'm telling you, unless Barnes drops down to only 10-12 ppg on like 42% shooting, he'll still be a top 5-10 pick next year. Barnes is a 6'8" SF who can also slide over and play off-guard. He's got a smooth stroke from deep, nice mid-range pull-up jumper, and even a decent back to the basket game if he has a mismatch.

Marvin came out too early. However, you can't blame him. He cashed in on an excellent freshman season on a national championship winning team. But, like I said, Harrison's game projects much better on the next level than Rashad's game ever did.

[baseketball4life]

Barnes projects MUCH better on the next level than McCants ever did. I loved Rashad but he was a 6'4" SG who didn't show much interest in defense. Not to mention he was a bit of a head-case. I'm telling you, unless Barnes drops down to only 10-12 ppg on like 42% shooting, he'll still be a top 5-10 pick next year. Barnes is a 6'8" SF who can also slide over and play off-guard. He's got a smooth stroke from deep, nice mid-range pull-up jumper, and even a decent back to the basket game if he has a mismatch.

Marvin came out too early. However, you can't blame him. He cashed in on an excellent freshman season on a national championship winning team. But, like I said, Harrison's game projects much better on the next level than Rashad's game ever did.
I think your right I think your right. Overreaction on my part, hopefully Harrison stays healthy now.