After watching Harrison Barnes light up Clemson for 40 points Saturday in North Carolina’s improbable 92-87 ACC semifinal overtime win, I get the feeling we all just saw the best game Barnes will ever play in a Tar Heel uniform.
Maybe I’m wrong and Barnes, a precocious freshman, won’t come out early for the NBA draft. Maybe the impending possible lockout will keep him in school, or maybe he just likes school and wants to stay like Tyler Hansbrough (who also once hit 40 points as a freshman) did for four seasons.
But when you can do something like that, it’s hard not to hear the siren song of the NBA.
A couple of notes about Barnes’ 40 points, which matched his uniform number:
-- They were the most ever in 115 previous ACC tournament semifinals.
-- They were the most points scored by a UNC player in the ACC tournament in 40 years (Lennie Rosenbluth still has the school record with 45 in a 1957 quarterfinal).
For the second straight game, UNC lived very dangerously. The Tar Heels fell behind 14-3 early and were down 73-66 with 2:30 left (and Clemson had the ball). But the Tar Heels scored the final seven points of regulation, then never trailed in overtime.
Barnes had 14 of the Tar Heels’ 19 points in that overtime period, assuring the win. It was amazingly good. Said Barnes of the NBA after the game: “When the season is over, I’ll think about it.”
Enjoy No.40 while you can, Tar Heel fans. I don’t think he’s going to be around very long.
We're moving!
9 years ago
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23 comments:
The kid is an assassin. He wills wins. A sure thing top three pick. I still think he stays one more year, but would wish him well if he left.
Of course if he were at dook, there'd be no doubt he'd stay 4 years.
Is barnes that good,or did clemson just choke and give it to them? I THINK BARNES IS BETTER BECAUSE OF MARSHALL.YOU TARHOLES WILL DREAM ABOUT ANYTHING HAHA.
Scott, please allow to me speak for all Tar Heel fans when I tell you to shut your pie-hole.
We'll worry about the NBA after the season's over. Until then, we get to enjoy our achievements. Stop trying to rain on our parade.
Cmon K, bring out your "secret weapon" Irving tomorrow. Either he's hurt or he's not - stop playing games and not committing to whether he's out for the season or not.
UNC-CHeats. Go Duke!
You writers are very good at stirring the pot. Can you not allow this young player the opportunity to enjoy this special moment. It is all about selling newspapers, isn't it?
I pity all you duke fans, tomorrow Barnes and the rest of the boys are going to drain shots all over your teams head, just like they did a few weeks ago and UNC is going to win. Also, Barnes is going to do the right thing and stay another year to bulk up and develop his ball handling, Hopefully... Right now though I think all he is worried about is getting that ACC championship and shocking the critics during the NCAA tournament, welcome to the realization that the HYPE was true BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Scott Fowler is an idiot. I think we've all known that for years now. I doubt that Barnes to the NBA is as certain as Fowler suggests it is. Barnes' mother, and Barnes himself, are both big believers in education, and Barnes made a promise to his mother that he would earn a degree when he went to college. Now, we all know that millions of $$$ can change that line of thought, but I think Barnes will either stay until he wins an NCAA title, wins POY award, or until he finishes his Junior season, whichever comes first. The only other scenario I see him leaving before then is if Carolina makes a Final Four, and Barnes is nominated to the All Tourney Team. Otherwise, I think he will stay, but I wouldn't blame him if he leaves for a huge payday, and I think Coach Williams will push him to go if he could be a Top 5 pick. That's why I think Williams is a better coach than Coach K. Williams truly wants what's best for his players. All Coach K cares about is what's best for his record.
Barnes is a homo.
"I THINK BARNES IS BETTER BECAUSE OF MARSHALL"
Did you watch the Clemson game? They won DESPITE Marshall's terrible performance. Barnes is NBA-ready right now. He has the moves, the intelligence and the mentality. The kid's blood is ice cold in clutch situations. Clemson defended well on a lot of his shots today and it didn't matter. Learn the game (hint: you can't do it watching NC State).
To Anon : March 12, 2011 11:30 PM,
You should be ashamed of yourself to post that comment anywhere. It was classless and reflects poorly on you.
Thank goodness. Barnes is a monster.
Please. When he hits the big one at the buzzer to win the NCAA champ like the 1982 win against G'town then he has done something.
The Heels just got by with another by the hair of the chiny chin chin. Nuttin big.
Moral to story: Cut the lazy play. Against lesser teams you have to win by at least 10 or you lose credibility and that lucks gonna run out.
Great stories on the cheats from chapel hole. UNC-CHeats will be the moniker for decades to come. Good luck cheaters.
Anybody who drafts Barnes in the lottery are Idiots! And I'm a Tarheel fan!
To Anonymous @ MARCH 13, 2011 4:08 AM
As a Heels fan, I'd like to say that your post was a piss poor example of how a Tar Heel should conduct himself in public. You sir, are a moron.
Oh yeah....GO HEELS!
NBA lockout = Barnes will be back...but 1st he'll drop another 30+ on d00k with another win!
Same old story. UNC gets 18 more free throw attempts than Clemson. EIGHTEEN!! Not hard to win close games by 5 when you only have to hit 5 from 18 from the line. ACC refs have their marching orders. Always give UNC and Duke more free throw attempts when playing every other team in the ACC, and somehow they always seem to win the close ones. Amazing. I guess Swofford will be wearing his Carolina blue today.
Barnes is good, but the guy guarding him(Smith) could not guard a telephone pole.
I am always amused by those who use "we" and "our" to describe their favorite team's accomplishments; it's as if they too suit up on game day.
Speaking of lockouts
That sorryazz worthless NFL players union officially were locked out for filing an anti-trust lawsuit against the owners trying to steal more billions.
Richardson is a PUS. He feels it will be worked out? Thats BS.
These criminal thieves need to all be fired permanently. Lets hope the owners are signing up new payers now.
Clean House. Fire all the SCUMBAGZ.
Get all new younger rookie players or those who will break the line who are better than those overpaid fatazz crybaby pukes they call NFL players.
Reduce cable tv and ticket gas clothing food medicene doctor and hospital insurance prices by 50%.
Nevermore. Goodbye tho the slime.
Barnes is very good, but he needs one more year. I'm no Tar Heel fan so I could g.a.s if he stays or goes on after one year. But if he wants a shot at an NCAA title he better come back next year because UNC is not getting one this year. I would be surprise to see them go past three rounds.
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