Tremendous!
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I may have missed this, but have they announced an intention to hire agents, or are they merely testing the waters, while withholding the possibility of pulling out? It sounds somewhat final, but I want to manage my expectations appropriately...
-jk
Not testing the waters. Per the link below, all 3 are definitely leaving and Roy wishes them well.
Linky
[I've imported this tag-quote from the McDonald's thread, as my response moves the issue toward the Heels next season without Marshall... And other things, too. Keep reading.]
I'll be interested in seeing how Roy uses Paige and Strickland at PG next year. Paige is clearly the superior PG, but Dexter is an experienced senior who might have the early-season edge as starting PG.
Maybe Wheat wants in on this discussion - I'm serious, I'd welcome his thoughts, as always - as way back, long before Marshall [not to mention Strickland] was actually injured, Wheat posted some firm praise for Strickland's ability to take over for Marshall, were it to come to that.
Come to think of it, Wheat, it's all your fault. By claiming that Dexter would do just fine, you angered the karma gods and they took it out on both Dexter and Kendall. You need to confess, over on IC. I don't envy you, 'cause you're gonna catch hell. Why not just convert to our side? You like us - very sensible of you - much better than Heel-nutters, anyway.
Just yesterday these were the most talented kids in the world and would have won a National Championship without breaking a sweat had it not been for a broken wrist. Today, according to a number of my co-workers these very same kids are the biggest dummies in the world with so many holes in their game it's a wonder anyone would even consider drafting them.
All 3 of my UNC buds (oxymoron, I know) left early today WITHOUT stopping by my office per normal to chat it up about hoops. I went to see one of them right after the official article came out and he looked physically sick (literally).
To add to their misery, the State guys at work are wearing those guys out with emails and what not, chirping about the 3 State Mickey D recruits to just 1 for UNC. That combined with the mass exodus over on the hill, combined with the stunning end to the season w/o a Final Four let alone the title all 3 were convinced their Heels were going to win, is flat killing these guys. I almost feel sorry for them...:)
A little late to this party, driving most of the day listening to the ol' ipod, and when I turned on the the computer I find this, and needless to say, I'm not exactly unhappy.
I read all of their exit quotes and appreciated Marshall and Henson's a lot, they are both really good. Harry is really good as well, but I feel like he just doesn't get it. He continues to put pressure on himself with his words, which as eloquent as he tries to be, indicates that he put a lot of thought into them, and that's what he comes up with? He's just a different breed, not of player like I thought when he was coming into school, but just a different breed of dude. Not to say he's a bad guy, but he just doesn't get it.
I think that McAdoo will have a really hard time turning down the NBA at this point, especially after seeing the probable hit that Harry's draft stock took between freshman and sophomore year and experiencing how badly injuries can hurt a team, and luckily for his teammates, not a career.
Carolina's still going to be formidable next year. There's a lot of length and athleticism on the wing and those players are just gonna get better. I think L-Mac is going to come back with a vengeance, and Strickland can straight up play. However, especially without McAdoo, I think that State and Duke are probably the top two in the league if things stay as they are right now (Mason here, and only Sheed coming in). Things could go either way with Mason's departure or the remaining recruits decisions.
Roy proved in 06 that he has the capabilities to do well even after a mass exodus of talent (with a lot of help from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named), but he also did a terrible job in 2010. I think this season will show whether or not Roy is as mediocre as I often claim him to be.
Hey Shabazz, come to Duke
I understand how it must be really disappointing for UNC fans to lose these three guys, but I don't really understand why it's all that surprising. I mean they've known all year long that these guys were likely to leave and that Barnes and Henson could have left last year. To hear what some of their fans are saying it's like it hit them completely out of the blue. I'm always disappointed when one of our guys leaves early, but there's only been a handful of times that I was actually surprised (Dunleavy and Shavlik Randolph are two that come to mind).
Strickland is solid as a PG. In the half-court, he takes care of the ball but doesn't make much happen. In that sense, he's a bit like LDII before he transferred, minus the cancerous attitude. In transition, he's very effective because he's so fast and finishes extremely well at the rim. So if we have good enough D to allow us to run, I expect DS will be the PG for most of the minutes. If Paige comes in and is effective quickly, then we might have a dilemma sort of like 2010 when Tar Heel fans were screaming for Marshall over Drew but Roy was slow to bench LDII. At least in this case, DS wouldn't have to be benched, so maybe Paige could take over the reigns quickly. Of course, I have no idea how quickly Paige will adjust to the college game.
I'm not surprised these players are heading for the NBA, it's the way it is in today's game. Yea, we're bummed that we didn't get to see them compete for a championship without all the injuries to the team, but that's also the way it goes, sometimes.
I am actually looking forward to next year. Watching players develop is probably my favorite part of following college ball.
Joel James could be the key player if McAdoo decides to stay. I like what I see coming from him, a true back to the basket post player. He's a little raw, but has the size we want and his game looks to be a perfect fit for UNC.
Oriakhi would be an immediate help, of course, and let James develop slower, but if James has to play, UNC will have some post play.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hbDz1OfIpaI
Good points here. I disagreed with Wheat a few months back for what I saw as overpraise for Strickland as a PG. But you and Wheat and the other EK posters definitely have watched him more consistently and carefully than I.
I continue to think Paige is the more "natural" PG, and remind all that Roy "blamed" [playfully, I think] Kyrie for Strickland's arrival in CH as insufficiently experienced at the position. But Strickland is surely far superior on D, plus he's a combo guard, so as you say, he's gonna play plenty.
I wouldn't "predict" anything like a repeat of the Drew-Marshall problem. Still, Paige is actually in a dicey spot, for he'll probably have to share the position with Strickland in 2012-'13, and then in 2013-'14 and 2014-'15 with highly-rated Nate Britt. Yes?
It's a good problem to have; unless it becomes a problem.