Ames High School basketball player Harrison Barnes announces his decision to attend North Carolina to play NCAA college basketball during a press conference, Friday, Nov. 13, 2009, in Ames, Iowa. Barnes is considered by many scouting services to be the top recruit for the class of 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Harrison Barnes chooses the Tar Heels - Harrison Barnes, the ESPN top pick for college basketball recruiting, announced his choice today to play for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Barnes's decision was made at a press conference held in Ames, Iowa. Barnes is a 6' 6" swing man, meaning he can play forward or guard on a team.
The player has been "courted" by recruiters across the country, including the Iowa State Cyclones, University of Iowa Hawkeyes, and Stanford.
In a Sports Illustrated article, it was revealed that Barnes's mother named him Harrison Bryce Jordan Barnes, the Jordan is after the basketball star Michael Jordan. Ms. Barnes used to record the basketball star playing to show to her son one day. Perhaps Jordan's connection to Carolina is all the reason Barnes needed to choose that school.
Barnes is also concerned about academics, according to SI. He currently holds a 3.4 GPA and was known to write down questions about academics when he visited colleges.
Barnes played Varsity starting in his freshman year after Coach Vance Downs at Ames (Iowa) High School called the player's mother, Shirley, at home to request the bump up. Shirley, a secretary in the Music Department at Iowa State, told her son the next day to take his sneakers to school, even though the freshmen practiced late enough for him to come home first and get them. After school the next day, Downs told Barnes the good news.
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Comments
"Tar Heels" is two words.
Hi, Stephen--You're so right. I've made the fix. Thanks for the catch!
All best,
~cak
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