Top hoops recruit spurns UCLA
Jon Gold called in this info as he was about to board his plane for the Pacific Northwest:
Small forward Harrison Barnes from Ames, Iowa, the consensus top basketball recruit in the country, committed to North Carolina today, choosing the Tar Heels ahead of UCLA, Duke and Iowa State among others.
Jon will have an update as soon as he lands in Seattle and/or Spokane.
I was never really too hopeful to land Barnes. But damn, I'm glad we almost never have to see UNC! That is one hell of a recruiting class. Hats off to them.
Let's just work on getting Josh Smith's signature on paper and a PG or two.
Very likely to be a one and done kid...we are in need of 3-4 year kids. That's how national championships are won these days. Would have been nice, but not changing the long term plans. Get some guards, we got big men...get Terrence Jones in here possibly. We'll be fine.
I wouldn't exactly call it "spurning" when he was always expected to sign with UNC, and when we just decided to take a shot in the dark. We aren't exactly heartbroken to lose Mr. Barnes; we never expected to get him.
It will be hard to land these athletic kids that like to run and gun on offense. Ncaa titles are won with fast breaking offenses. It's been proven during UCLA'S 3 season runs. Half court offenses don't win it and top players don't want it. Until CBH decides to pick it up, the "big boys" will continue to head to Kansas, UNC, & Duke.
big boys not including Smith?
Ben Howland has many times said he would like to run a more up tempo offense as soon as we have the depth, which we had last year, but we were too young to execute.
Damn these guys get EVERYBODY. What a class they are putting together once again.
"Jon will have an update as soon as he lands in Seattle and/or Spokane."
so his adapter doesn't work, and his boss doesn't know where his plane is landing, SEATAC or Spokane or BOTH?? why wouldn't we know, is the plane, "COMING IN HOT!!!"--??
just kidding Jon, you still have cred with the true blue Bruins.
Anon - who here said ""it's ok we didn't really want him anyway." ? I think everyone here would have loved to have Barnes, he's a top talent. But not many people had a realistic belief that he'd choose UCLA. It's been between Duke and UNC for a while.
Hey Stan, what were you smoking when you said "Ncaa titles are won with fast breaking offenses. It's been proven during UCLA'S 3 season runs."?
Ben Howland came within 1 game of winning the NCAA title in 2006, and 2 games within the championship in 2007 and 2008.
Next, you say "Until CBH decides to pick it up, the "big boys" will continue to head to Kansas, UNC, & Duke."
Sure, KEVIN LOVE and JOSH SMITH are not "big boys," right?
Get real!
Thank you Stan....Finally someone that gets it. Bruinfaithfull if BH wants to run a more uptempo offense then it's his fault he doesn't have the players, these kids are his recruits? BH is fine with me, his teams compete and work hard which is more than I can say about the previous coach's teams. But unless he decides to pick up the offense a little it will be very difficult to win any ncaa titles. You just can't attract talented scorers to come play that brand of basketball. BruinBurd, didn't we make it to the championship game with a one and done player?
Does it really matter? Most these studs are staying for one year anyway.
...getting sick of these high school signing parties...I don't think the classes CBH puts together year after year are anything to sneeze at...though I agree with the poster who commented we need players to stay 3 - 4 years. I hate this one and done nonsense. Certainly doesn't serve college ball interests.