Harrison Barnes commits to North Carolina

• Trueblue23

  

  I'm praying he goes to Duke... should be fun to watch.
• ironman02

  I'd say it's Duke, but I REALLY hope it isn't.
  
  It really seems like the Duke, Carolina, and Iowa State fanbases all still have hope, and none of the insiders know for sure. I just want it to be over!
  
  If he commits to K, I'm gonna be sick though.
• milehiiu

  Harrison's house in Ames is like a mile or so from the ISU campus. I have no idea where he will wind up. But I would have to think he would want to play somewhere away from home. But then again, he could always go home any night of the week for a good home cooked meal.
• OneBuckeye

  

  He is obviously headed to a NC school... I just hope he doesn't find success. I am sick of the UNC Duke stuff.
  
  In other news if he has to go to one I hope he goes to Duke.
• ironman02

  And the winner of the Harrison Barnes sweepstakes is...
  
  CAROLINA!!!!!!
• mattinctown

  Damnit
• ironman02

  Unbelievable day to be a Carolina fan!
  
  Harrison called Roy and the team on skype during the Carolina practice to announce his decision.
• swamisez

  

  Cripes. Coach K loses another one to Roy.
  
  Hopefully this is like a Brendan Wright situation. One and done.
• hoops23

  

  Awesome news!
  
  So glad he's heading to the RIGHT Carolina school
• reclegend22

  

  Coach K unfathomably loses another notch in his recruiting belt. Frankly, a big one.
  
  I'm not a sky is falling type of person, though, so I won't say anymore. It's an understatement to say that Duke is good enough to bounce back from this. One player doesn't make or break a legendary program. But it can certainly hurt for awhile.
  
  This has no connection to Barnes, but, as I've said since the '06-07 season, Coach K's time in Durham is coming to an end. I give him four years at most. It's been quite the run, though, and I see at least another Final Four before he's gone -- possibly this this year, or next, if Singler returns.
  
  But Carolina cuts down the nets next season.
• elbuckeye28

  How does Roy Williams do it? I understand that the school can recruit itself to a point, but he just brings in one ridiculous recruiting class after another.
• swamisez

  

  I don't think it is Carolina specifically, Roy Williams has taken the top player from Iowa virtually anytime they are a D1 prospect. Heinrich, LaFrentz, now Barnes.
  
  He has built up a great rep among coaches in the midwest. Coach K gets Chicago, but not the heartland.
• Quint

  

  Having MJ as a recruiting tool certainly helps.
• centralbucksfan

  reclegend22 wrote: Coach K unfathomably loses another notch in his recruiting belt. Frankly, a big one.
  
  I'm not a sky is falling type of person, though, so I won't say anymore. It's an understatement to say that Duke is good enough to bounce back from this. One player doesn't make or break a legendary program. But it can certainly hurt for awhile.
  
  This has no connection to Barnes, but, as I've said since the '06-07 season, Coach K's time in Durham is coming to an end. I give him four years at most. It's been quite the run, though, and I see at least another Final Four before he's gone -- possibly this this year, or next, if Singler returns.
  
  But Carolina cuts down the nets next season.

  Hurts even MORE when the player goes to your arch rival!!
• Trueblue23

  

  Man that sucks.
• jpake1

  

  It's nice being a UNC fan.
• Heelz

  

  What a great day to be a tar heel fan!!! Reggie, Kendall AND Harrison... make room in the trophy case!!
• hoops23

  

  Roy Williams has done an outstanding job since coming home to Carolina. Lot of good years ahead.
• ironman02

  Almost as soon as the Barnes announcement happened, I had to leave. Just got home a while ago and had to bask in the glory of the Carolina board, and read some of the meltdown on the Duke board for a while.
  
  This is a HUGE get for Roy and Carolina. Barnes was considered by many to be a Duke lock for quite a while, simply because K had built such a close relationship with him. I don't know exactly what made the tide turn, but Roy Williams is just an outstanding recruiter.
  
  Here is how Carolina stacks up over the next few years. My projections have only 12 scholarship players in each of those years, so they could obviously add another player in each class, maybe more depending on early entries to the NBA.
  
  
  2009-2010 Roster (12 scholarship players)
  
  Marcus Ginyard - SR
  Deon Thompson - SR
  Will Graves - JR
  Ed Davis - SO
  Tyler Zeller - SO
  Larry Drew II - SO
  Justin Watts - SO
  John Henson - FR
  Dexter Strickland - FR
  Leslie McDonald - FR
  David Wear - FR
  Travis Wear - FR
  
  Carolina will lose Ginyard and Thompson to graduation. Davis and Henson could leave for the NBA, but I think Henson stays and Davis goes. As of now, they would add Barnes, Bullock, and Marshall.
  
  2010-2011 Roster (12 scholarship players)
  
  Will Graves - SR
  Tyler Zeller - JR
  Larry Drew II - JR
  Justin Watts - JR
  John Henson - SO
  Dexter Strickland - SO
  Leslie McDonald - SO
  David Wear - SO
  Travis Wear - SO
  Harrison Barnes - FR
  Reggie Bullock - FR
  Kendall Marshall - FR
  
  Carolina would lose Will Graves to graduation and most likely John Henson to the NBA. Barnes could be one and done, but all indications are that he may stick around longer than that. Strickland could also be gone by the next season, but I'm saying he stays. They would add McAdoo and Hairston at this point.
  
  2011-2012 Roster (12 scholarship players)
  
  Tyler Zeller - SR
  Larry Drew II - SR
  Justin Watts - SR
  Dexter Strickland - JR
  Leslie McDonald - JR
  David Wear - JR
  Travis Wear - JR
  Harrison Barnes - SO
  Reggie Bullock - SO
  Kendall Marshall - SO
  James McAdoo - FR
  P.J. Hairston - FR
• wildcats20

  

  Roy is the best recruiter in the country. I don't think anyone can argue that.
• reclegend22

  

  No argument from me. Roy's # one. I'd add Calipari in at number two and maybe Bill Self at three.
  
  Coach K is no longer top three. Top five though. I'd probably put Matta in there as well, and of course you can't forget about Billy D. Although, Florida has certainly not performed the past two years. With several sick classes now, Matta belongs in the discussion, no matter how much I really don't care for him.
• Heelz

  

  Wow Ironman, I hadn't really stepped back and looked at the possible lineups in the next two years, could get pretty nasty for the ACC in the future. Roy is a machine.
  
  Rec I agree that Calipari is also a great recruiter but his legacy will always have astrics (sp?) to me,everywhere he goes always has rule infractions. Not sure if they are all recruitment infractions but still makes me wonder.
• swamisez

  

  Is Roy Williams really that good? Yes and No.
  Yes, because he can win the recruiting battles against other ACC schools and
  No, because it is the University of North Carolina that offers players prestige and nba networking, not Roy.
  
  Even Matt Doherty brought in Sean May, Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton. His players won a national title in 2005.
  
  Carolina offers kids more than any other school can, tradition, Nike elitism, and Michael Jordan.
  
  Until kids no longer see Michael Jordan as God of Basketball (may take decades) it will continue to be a factory.
• ironman02

  swami,
  
  There's no doubt that the Carolina program recruits itself. Most of the storied programs like Carolina, UCLA, UK, KU, and Duke have that advantage. I think you may be underestimating Roy slightly, though. He seems to have taken Carolina recruiting to an even higher level in recent years, in my opinion. Other coaches could recruit well at Carolina, but I honestly believe that no one could do it better than Roy at this time.
• Prescott

  Why can't these kids just sign a LOI and fax it in. Barnes' dog and pony show was little over the top for me.
  
  As for Roy, he wins most of the recruiting battles because he wins championships.