Harrison Barnes returning to North Carolina for his sophomore season

Following in the footsteps of Perry Jones and Jared Sullinger before him, Harrison Barnes announced on Monday morning that he would be returning to school for his sophomore season.

Barnes, who was the first freshman ever to be named preseason first team all-america, struggled early in the year, but with Kendall Marshall's promotion to starter and Larry Drew's decision to leave the team, the 6'8" small forward known as the Black Falcon finally found his stroke. He scored over 16 points just twice in his first 19 games, but did it 16 of the final 18 games of the season.

All that hype Barnes had? The smooth slasher with three point range, the athleticism to dunk on the entire defense, and a killer mid-range game? That is the guy that showed up for the last three months of the season. That is the guy that was in the running to be the No. 1 overall pick. And now, that is the guy that will be a favorite for National Player of the Year next season playing on the most talented team in the country.


"I look forward to meeting the challenging journey in the NBA, but my decision on November 13, 2009, still holds true," Barnes said in a statement. "I'm focused on being a student-athlete. And my decision is to continue this part of my journey at the University of North Carolina."

"As a team, we're preparing for a special season. My off-season plans are to diligently work on honing my basketball skills in all areas with one team-goal in mind -- to bring the 2012 national championship home to UNC."

With Tyler Zeller and John Henson returning to school earlier this month, the return of Barnes means that North Carolina will bring back their top seven players from last season. The only member of their rotation that they will lose is senior Justin Knox, a physical inside presence that averaged 4.6 ppg and 3.2 rpg in his only season in Chapel Hill. UNC also adds five star recruits James McAdoo, a 6'8" power forward, and PJ Hairston, an athletic, 6'5" wing scorer. Throw in Desmond Hubert and Jackson Simmons, a couple of three-star big men, and Roy Williams is going to have as deep and as talented of a roster as you will find in the country.

This is the second time in four years that the Heels have reaped the benefits of a players returning to school. Back in the spring of 2008, Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Danny Green, and Wayne Ellington all pulled out of the draft and returned to school. They proceeded to lead UNC to the 2009 national title.

Once again, UNC will be the preseason No. 1 team in most preseason polls.

Can Barnes and company follow in the footsteps of the 2009 team?

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Here is Barnes' full statement: "As an 18-year old, I'm in the early stages of my life journey. I'm honored and blessed for the chance to play in the NBA. And because of my family, teachers, passion, and work, I have the ultimate dream of one day playing and experiencing a fulfilling career in the NBA.

"Opportunities, both beneficial and life changing, can seem to make the next phase of my journey an easy decision. But I am a student-athlete at the University of North Carolina. I'm here to experience college life, grow as a person, receive a quality education, and be part of the greatest basketball family in college sports.

"The experiences I've enjoyed on and off the court will be invaluable. These experiences will help fuel my journey in the NBA and beyond.

"I look forward to meeting the challenging journey in the NBA, but my decision on November 13, 2009, still holds true. I'm focused on being a student-athlete. And my decision is to continue this part of my journey at the University of North Carolina.

"As a team, we're preparing for a special season. My off-season plans are to diligently work on honing my basketball skills in all areas with one team-goal in mind -- to bring the 2012 national championship home to UNC."

And here is Roy Williams' statement: "I am of course excited to have Harrison back on our team next year. It has been a true pleasure to coach him and I look forward to coaching him again next season. He had a difficult decision to make. He really had no wrong decision to choose, but I believe he is coming back to school because he enjoys college basketball, he enjoys the University of North Carolina and he enjoys his teammates. If he had decided to leave for the NBA, that would have been okay, too, because he will always be a Tar Heel. But it will certainly be a lot of fun to coach him again."