Monday, March 28, 2011

Iowa columnist: Barnes should stay with Heels

Des Moines Register columnist Sean Keeler, from back home in Iowa, says North Carolina freshman Harrison Barnes should stay in college one more year, to cement his legacy.

An excerpt:

You know what? If I’m Harrison Barnes, I come back. One more Dance. One more run. One more chance to leave my mark, to cement my legacy on Tobacco Road.

North Carolina has the goods next year, on paper, to run through college basketball the way King Kong ran through Manhattan. Of the five starters that took the floor in Sunday’s 76-69 season-ending loss to Kentucky, four are underclassmen. None are seniors. From freshman point guard Kendall Marshall to big men John Henson and Tyler Zeller, it’s a beast in Nikes.

But Barnes is the key. Without him, the Tar Heels are pretty darned good. With him? They’re special.



What do you think? Should Barnes stay in Chapel Hill for his sophomore season, or go to the NBA to start building a legacy there? Post your thoughts in the comments.

54 comments:

ROY>RAT said...

Stay! Roy has much to teach you. Stick around, the NBA is going nowhere.

Anonymous said...

Stay, man, stay. Becoming financially secure overnight is vastly overrated.

Anonymous said...

Both Barnes and Irving are projected top 5 picks, so please make sure those of you that are telling Barnes he needs to stay, dont tell Kyrie how dumb he is if he also chooses to stay. Personally I think they should both stay because theres no guarantee there will be a season next year so they should stay and polish their games. Plus itll just be fun watching them finally get a chance to play against each other.

Anonymous said...

The reason nobody is telling Kyrie to stay is that it's clear he is leaving. His dad didn't even want him to play when he was 100% healthy. His son is his meal ticket and nothing is going to stop him.

Harrison Barnes comes from a better background then that, from a family that actually values education. There is actually a legitimate shot he comes back.

Anonymous said...

Just look at their names. Harrison and Kyrie. It's pretty obvious which one comes from a solid background, and which one comes from a family of apes. If Kyrie comes out his father will have enough bananas and fubu to last a lifetime

Anonymous said...

Now thats a funny comment. Once again, the holier than thou attitude. Thats why youre a despised fan base. The decision for him to come back was his families decision. They made it, not the Duke coaching staff. And to say he doesnt value education. You dont know him, youre just saying that because he goes to Duke and you think all things Carolina are from God. Get over yourself.

Anonymous said...

Another year for Barnes at Carolina is the best thing for him. No need to try to do things so fast. He has a lot going for him that does not merit him leaving after only one year, plus it is another year to mature and learn in a proven system. Enjoy one more year at the Hill and then see what makes the most sense. Next year could be one of those special ones with all his solid teammates.

Anonymous said...

Such idiot comments about Kyrie, we know why you don't want him to stay. He will wait until more is known about the NBA lockout. Austin and Kyrie would be a lot of fun.

Anonymous said...

If his education is as important to him as he has stated in the past, then he'll stay. No doubt the boy is good, but he should stay another year and sharpen his skills.

agFinder said...

Unfortunately the money is a big part of the decision, so calculate how much Harrison Barnes can pull today on the NBA stage and how much he'd be worth after another year and a very probable championship. $3 million, 4, more? Sure he takes the risk of getting hurt, but he gains soooo much.
As for Kyrie coming back, as a Tar Heel fan I think that'd be awesome. Stomping Duke twice, yes, would be almost as great, but UNC has always sought out the highest level of competition because that's what hones the edge and takes you from good to the best.

Lou Sanus said...

He should take the money.

Anonymous said...

Not yet at Robert McAdoo status....

Jen Italworts said...

He should stay in school.

Lou Skunt said...

Im not sure what he should do.

Mat Sterbator said...

He should do what he wants.

Anonymous said...

He should turn pro. If he's really in love with the school, he can always come back to finish during the offseason.

Anonymous said...

Next year, Barnes would have more minutes to develop skills at small forward and shooting guard, with NBA-type talent on his team for practice and games, and without being physically and mentally abused in the NBA. Plus, college can be fun. I remember this one night when Mitch Kupchak, Brad Hoffman, and Bobby Jones were on Rosemary Street....

Anonymous said...

It was interesting to hear Coach Williams coment about how the players were feeling after the loss. I believe he was making a statement to the players to stay for another year,in order to remove the sting by winning the National Championshp next year. I also don't believe any of them are physically/skillfully ready for the NBA.

Anonymous said...

True - they would have more bruises than Chris Brown's birthday pinata.

Anonymous said...

Barnes should accept the head coach position for NC State.

Anonymous said...

....he will stay....the nba will be a mess very soon....the owners are desperate for change....much more so than nfl owners.....no NBA season next year!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 6:47, you're a D-bag to the nth degree. There's no reason or place for such racist comments. When you're not too busy burning crosses, consider getting help.

Harry Balsak said...

It's his choice.

Anonymous said...

Ask Singler how it worked out. He only cost himself a couple of million and he'll probably be drafted lower than he would have last year. Never get that money back.

Tara Nupsumass said...

Who's too say.

Willie Fistergash said...

God is in control!

Will U. Suckminuts said...

Either way will work out.

Karash yurkar said...

People are people..and we are all god's lamb's.

Trima Tightanus said...

god has said to leave the judging to him!

Iva Nolube said...

Why people why????

Anonymous said...

Marvin williams was not a regular starter for the heels, but we won a title with him as a 6th man and so he became a lottery pick because he had the ring. I think barnes needs to round-out his game and become deadly from outside--the whole game. because he will need that at the next level. he promised his mom he would get his degree. to stay another year and have the summer school between them would get him to 3rd base of he left at the end of his sophomore year.

Anonymous said...

One of the reasons Barnes chose UNC is that the school laid out a plan for him to get an undergrad business degree (a curriculum Duke does not offer - they only have an MBA program) in 3 years.

He's staying.

Rusty Kuntz said...

He should do both.

Maybe no one will notice.

Anonymous said...

To the individual that made the racist judgement (i.e. bananas and fubu) against Kyrie based on his name, thank you for expressing your immense ignorance. Kyrie means "Lord, have mercy" in Greek. But I'm sure that means his dad just wants a bunch of bananas and fubu. For the record, a white guy wrote this. Grow up peter pan.

Phil Thikuhnt said...

God says do what you want!

Anonymous said...

He should stay and develop his skills in draining crunch-time 3's-next year that might put the Heels over the top.

Anonymous said...

Tar Heel propoganda hahaha. "Barnes should stay but Kyrie should go." You'd LOVE that wouldn't you. What a joke. Keep dreamin' holes!!

Lon G. Member said...

boing chica boing boing!

Anonymous said...

He should do whatever is best for himself and his family, not what is best for Roy and all the Chapel Hill fans. We should all get lives and not be concerned about what he does.

Anonymous said...

Would be HILARIOUS if (gasp!) Barnes leaves and Kyrie stays.

Anonymous said...

Easy road? Hey, it wasn't Duke that played an #11 seed in the Sweet Sixteen and a #4 seed in the Final Four (and lost). Keep dreamin' holes!

Anonymous said...

*Elite 8

Anonymous said...

I personally think that Barnes will be coming back next year. He has said from day one that he wants a career like Tyler Hansbrough had. Barnes wants to win a national tittle and they will have the team to beat next year in college basketball. If he comes back, and works on his ball handling over the off season, he will be unstoppable. More than likely he is the preseason national player of the year next year. What is the big deal about going out after this year? He will still be a top 5 pick next year possibly the number 1 pick over all. The money isn't going anywhere, he will actually gain more money by coming back and working on his game.

Anonymous said...

Wow. Almost as much hate (and racism) for Irving in these posts as there is support for Barnes. Frankly, even as a Duke fan, I would be most pleased if both stay. Talented guys like the two of them only improve the college game and would make for some epic Duke vs Carolina games in the coming years.

Oh, and regarding the racist comments about Irving's father, he graduated from Boston University, a school with academic standards that are on par with Duke's. It's easy to fathom that Kyrie's dad is more highly educated than those who made such idiotic comments and already leads a comfortable life even before Kyrie goes to the NBA.

Anonymous said...

Kudos to the last poster...glad to hear you're not blinded by baby blue ideology.

Now, while BU is a very solid private school, wouldn't by any means call it "on par" with Duke academically.

Anonymous said...

@ Anon 11:52am - they're actually closer than you think. Duke's last class had the following stats:

SAT: 2050 - 2340
ACT: 30-34
6.5% of applicants enrolled

Boston University has the following:

SAT: 1850 - 2090
ACT: 29
10% of applicants enrolled

Duke is a bit more discerning, but it's likely that someone admitted to Boston Univ would also stand a good chance at being enrolled in Duke as well.

Anonymous said...

BU has a 54% acceptance rate...this should not be an arguement. Let's say it's a very solid school and leave it at that.

Surprised that the Tar Heel Observer is not reporting the signing of heralded 0-star PG Stilman White. Big catch indeed!

Anonymous said...

Ha yeah not seeing anything mentioning unranked PG Stilman White's Heels signing. Embarrassed, Disturber?

Bea Dumass said...

At the end of the day none of this horse crap means anything! he is a ball player!! what real impact does he have in the world???

WHO CARES!

Ole Roy said...

Stay. Harrison's got a lot of undeveloped potential. With his skills he should go to the hoop with the ball more, not just settle for the three. When he learns he can be crazy-explosive he could be that #1 pick. Right now, not that close.

Anonymous said...

There are pro and con to both decisions. I hope Barnes and Irving both stay, it will be good for college basketball. Neither is ready to be a star at the next level. Both will be stars if they return next season and will improve their stock. Irving looked very poor on defense in the NCAA's and Barnes needs to add some ball handling skills and weight. Look no further than Kyle Singler though for the donwside. Singler was projected a late first round to early second round pick last year. His play this season has dropped him to a projected very late second round to not be being drafted at all status. Both Barnes and Irving have more of an upside and considerably more physical skills than Singler however.

Unknown said...

I think he should stay and work on his ball handling he may be great but he is not perfect (and I'm a true die hard Carolina fan). More work is needed in that department. By the way u rather make millions now and be out of the league by 27 or develop your skills so you can stay in the league and make those millions until your 37 or 38. Working on his skill set will get him more financial security over the long haul.

Anonymous said...

Surprise, surprise...every cliched "die-hard Heel fan" on the planet wants Barnes to come back and Irving to go.

FACE IT: THEY'RE BOTH GONE. Irving projected #1, Barnes #3. Duke has moved on, Rivers era has arrived.

Let it go, "die-hard Heel fans"!

Anonymous said...

G.O.N.E.