It looks like the NBA is going to be missing out on one of America’s to basketball prospects, at least for one more year, as forward Harrison Barnes will be returning to North Carolina for his sophomore year instead of entering this year’s NBA draft. This may alter the thinking of fans when it comes to NBA betting on the next draft.
Barnes was named rookie of the year in the Atlantic Coast Conference after averaging close to 16 points per game. Barnes, who has plenty of size, at 6-foot-8, was regarded by most basketball experts as the top freshman in the country before the season started and he solidified his standing by helping the Tar Heels to 29 wins this season as well as the ACC regular-season championship. The team was a win short of this year’s Final Four.
All five starters will return to the Tar Heels next season and their top seven scorers are returning. This will make them favourites to enter the season as the nation’s top-ranked team.
Barnes released a statement on April 18th, saying the team is preparing itself for a special season and he’s spending the off-season working hard on improving his basketball skills. He said the team has one goal on its mind this year and that’s to bring the national championship to UNC in 2012.
The news that Barnes is returning to UNC comes just a couple of weeks after the school learned that Tyler Zeller, a 7-foot junior, and John Henson, a 6-10 sophomore are also returning instead of going into the NBA draft. All-Americans James McAdoo and P.J. Hairston will also be back. Several mock NBA drafts have been held recently and Barnes was projected to be a high first-rounder in them.
Roy Williams, UNC’s coach, said Barnes was in a win-win situation no matter what route he decided to take. He said he believes he’s returning to school because he really enjoys playing college basketball, he likes the school, and loves playing alongside his teammates. Williams added that if Barnes had chosen to enter the NBA draft he would have understood his decision and he’ll always be remembered as a Tar Heel. He finished by saying it’ll be lots of fun coaching Barnes again this season.
Barnes, who hails from Ames, Iowa, went into last season as the first freshman to be named a preseason All-American by the Associated Press since voting started back in 1986-87. He struggled a little at the start as his shooting was off. However, he picked things up and by mid-January was known as a clutch late-game performer.
He scored three-pointers in the dying seconds in wins at Florida State and Miami as well as late baskets in wins over Virginia Tech and Clemson. He also scored 40 points in an overtime win over Clemson during the ACC semi finals, a tournament record for freshmen. His strong performances in the second half of the season helped UNC win 22 of their last 26 games, but they lost in an NCAA regional final to Kentucky.
Barnes said it’s still a dream of his to play in the NBA, but he’s in no rush as life’s a journey and there’s still a long way to go. He said he wants to grow as a person, continue experiencing college life, get a good education, and be a part of the college sports’ greatest basketball family.
Of course, Barnes and his teammates Zeller and Henson may not miss out at all if a projected NBA lockout takes place later in the year. If there aren’t any games at the start of next season, we may see people who make regular NBA picks focus more on college basketball or other sports.
