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The UNC Tarheels had a very forgettable 2009-2010 season. They missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Roy Williams; the only bright side was a run in the NIT that left the Tarheels with a 20-17 overall record. Fans were discouraged but maintained hope coming into the 2010-2011 season.

Williams returned big men John Henson and Tyler Zeller to go along with one of the best recruiting classes in the nation. Harrison Barnes was the big name, ranked as the top freshman in the nation. The class also included Reggie Bullock and Kendall Marshall. While many argue that Marshall fueled the Tarheels turnaround this winter by taking over the point guard position from Larry Drew, Barnes was the Tarheels’ biggest offensive threat. From a late February victory against Maryland through UNC’s tournament run, Barnes averaged 21.5 points per game, including a 40 point outburst against Clemson.

Barnes looks forward to 'special seaon' at UNC

While the Tarheels fell short in the Elite 8 to Kentucky, Barnes boosted his NBA stock and seemed poised to make the jump after his first year of school. With his abilities and size (6-8) Barnes looks like he has the potential for a monster NBA career. On Monday Barnes announced that that NBA career will be put on hold for one more season.

Barnes has decided to come back to UNC for his sophomore campaign and in his words, 'prepare for a special season'. Barnes is joined by the returning frontcourt duo of Henson and Zeller. The team will be identical to last year's elite 8 bunch, the only loss being senior forward Justin Knox. Coach Williams will look to combine this in-house talent with another star class that includes McDonald's All-Americans James McAdoo and P.J. Hairston.

James McAdoo joins an already stacked Tarheel lineup

With news of the big 3 returning to UNC, fans and analysts will no doubt be expecting big things from these Tarheels. While we wait for Friday's declaration deadline to pass, UNC is in position to be #1 overall in next year's preseason polls. Roy Williams will have plenty to work with as he goes for his 3rd national championship as head coach of the Tarheels.

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Williams Goes Pro

April 15th 2011 10:30

East coast bias. This is what I'm going to use as my reason for not seeing much of Derrick Williams during the regular season. The power-packed Big East made headlines all year, with star and now national champion Kemba Walker leading the way. Nolan Smith and the Blue Devils also had their fair share of the spotlight. Then of course there was Jimmer Mania. Fredette was about as close as I got to the Pac 10 this year. The conference's games were late for us on the East Coast and really their teams just weren't worth my beauty sleep. At least this is what I thought before a certain Thursday night in March.

Williams saw his draft stock soar during the Big Dance

The date, March 24th; the excitement that is March Madness was upon us. I was excited because my Tar Heels were still in the Dance, and I was certainly going to tune in for an opportunity to see Duke lose. I lost hope as the first half progressed. Duke seemed in control and I was debating calling it a night rather than waste my time on another Blue Devil victory. However there was one sign of hope for the Cats; it was this guy I had been hearing pretty good things about. Derrick Williams was lights out, going 5-6 from three point range in the first half including a 3 in the closing seconds that pulled Arizona within 6.

I was still pretty skeptical and was back to considering bed when Charles Barkley convinced viewers that the Wildcats had Duke right where they wanted them. Really Charles? Yes, really. The Cats went on to score 55 in the second half to run Duke out of the gym 93-77. Williams, already a highly touted sophomore, had entered the national spotlight. Scoring 32 points to go along with 13 rebounds, Williams scored from inside and out, showcasing power moves and monster dunks to go along with his outside shooting.

As Arizona's run eventually came to an end, Williams faced a decision, go or stay. His decision was made easier by his performance in the NCAA Tournament; some analysts now projecting he could go as high as #1 overall. On Wednesday Williams formally announced what many expected; he was leaving school and signing an agent in preparation for the NBA draft.

Williams has been compared to the phenom Griffin

The 6-foot-8 Williams seemed a man among boys at times in college. He could post you up underneath or pull it out and shoot a 3 in your face. With the increased size and athleticism of the NBA, it will be interesting to see what kind of player Williams becomes. I've seen some Blake Griffin comparisons while others have written that Williams will be better used as a 6th man. I tend to follow NCAAB more than the NBA, and would be interested to hear what fans from the league think Williams’ prospects are.

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One and Done

April 10th 2011 05:30

With the end of the men's college basketball tournament, fans begin holding their breath for what has become the inevitable. Teams with star recruits with pro potential begin making statements that their young players have decided to forgo their senior, junior, or even sophomore seasons to try their luck in the NBA. While teams wait until this point to formally make the announcements, it is usually a foregone conclusion that certain players are going to be one and done.

The season's first big name player has come out and said that he will be putting his name into this year's NBA Draft. Coach K notified the public that Kyrie Irving will be leaving school early, even after he missed 26 games this season with a bum toe.

Irving was one of several star freshmen to enter the college ranks this year. Many of these would have skipped this step and entered the draft last year if current policy didn't require students to be at least 19 years old and one full year removed from high school to be draft eligible. Many believe that North Carolina SF Harrison Barnes and Kentucky's Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight will soon follow Irving to the NBA.

This trend has been taking place since the rule began. Several notable NBA players were one and done guys in college; Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Kevin Love, O.J. Mayo, and Michael Beasley. There are many that argue against the merit of the rule.

Some believe that this process greatly cheapens the college experience for these players and in general. The student's requirements to be eligible to play in the fall are fairly lax, and in the spring most declare for the NBA draft before their finals, making their classes virtually meaningless. I don't think you can lump all one and done players together in the category of not taking their education seriously, but this is nonetheless alarming.

Others argue that this one year in college is essentially useless to those star players that are truly ready for the NBA. While their argument may pertain to the Kevin Durant's and Derrick Rose's of the world, I do think that there is much to gain in a college setting, even if it is just for one year.

I believe the current system certainly has its flaws. It's hard to say that someone should have the power to tell 18 year old men what to do with their lives, but I personally would like to see the minimum requirement pushed back to 2 years in a college setting. I could see several problems resulting; the main being players going the Brandon Jennings's route and simply playing overseas for two years.

On the NBA's side of things, some say that this rule hurts because these young kids that declare after one year are seen simply as projects. While you do get your Kobe Bryant's and Dwight Howard's, some argue that bad teams with lottery picks have to take a risk on choosing players with 'promise' or 'potential'. They say that this results in teams continuing to be bad until they get lucky enough to have a shot at drafting a true superstar, and thus a lack of parody in the NBA.

I am hands down more of a fan of college basketball so I tend to look at things from a perspective of how it is affected. You cannot force a student to desire a college education or experience. Any rule that is put into place will not fix that. That being said, I believe players can gain so much from college, not just on the basketball court but in the classroom and even developing socially, and they benefit greatly from their time in school.

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