LJ Rose misses out on his dream school

On Wednesday afternoon, Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News filed an interesting column on LJ Rose, a talented Class of 2012 point guard out of Texas.

You see, Rose, despite growing up in the Lone Star State, is a UNC Tar Heels fan. He's dreamed of leading the break in the Dean Dome since he was a kid, and unlike most youngsters fantasizing of sports stardom, Rose actually is good enough to play for one of the nation's premiere programs.


The problem?

They don't have any space:

North Carolina needed one point guard for its 2012 recruiting class, and Marcus Paige of Marion, Iowa, made up his mind and grabbed that available scholarship before Rose was comfortable making a decision.

"At first, it was real hard. I wanted to go there," Rose told Sporting News. "I had second thoughts about not committing right away. Now, looking back at it, I think it was a blessing in disguise.

"I'm enjoying the experience more, and maybe I'll have a better fit somewhere else."

Its a part of recruiting that isn't widely talked about.

Basketball teams are only allowed 13 scholarships, which means that the number of players that a coach can bring into a program at a certain position are limited. With Kendall Marshall, Dexter Strickland, and Leslie McDonald already in the program and PJ Hairston coming in next season, Roy Williams only had room for one more point guard. Paige bit first, meaning that Rose will be forced to play somewhere other than his dream school when he suits up next season.

Rose, who is ranked 60th in our consensus recruiting rankings, will still have the opportunity to play big-time college hoops. He lists schools in the Big East, the ACC, and the Big 12 that are still recruiting him.

But its interesting to think about when you look at lists of schools your team is recruiting and where a player lists as their top five.

Its also something to keep in mind when you see players transfer early in their college career.

Did that player commit because he truly wanted to attend that school, or did he make a decision because he was afraid that another player would scoop up that scholarship offer before he had a chance to bite?