http://www.highschoolhoop.com/recrui...visiting-duke/
I didnt see this linked here yet. The pesky heels wont just go away...
My Quick Smells Like French Toast.
I will say one thing from that article does worry me. He says wherever he ends up enrolling his girlfriend is going to follow him there. I wonder if she's going to have any influence on his decision. If he chooses Duke, what if she can't get in or doesn't like the idea of coming to Duke. Will he go somewhere else so they can be at the same school?
I know it seems silly to think a young man with such a future ahead of him would let a teenage girl influence his decision, but if they're close enough that they want to go to the same college, I have a feeling he'll at least listen to what she has to say, assuming she has an opinion about it.
With all these articles and stuff looking like "pro duke"... just remember stuff like this http://www.tarheeltimes.com/article16329.aspx... and this http://www.highschoolhoop.com/recrui...visit-to-duke/
Actually I'm glad you posted this b/c it did occur to me today. However, upon reading them I'm glad we experienced Harrison. Harrison Barnes DOES like Duke. This you guys MUST get through your heads. You will NEVER hear him say a bad word. But if you read this again, he does give small hints and it's the same ones we dismissed from UNC fans at that - like the "other" side of Carolina.
But it's always the one thing that sticks out to a recruit - the x-factor. For Barnes it was Jordan. I get it - and I accept it. I got my first Jordans a half-size too big so I wouldn't have to get Sky Jordans (remember those?). A singular entity for a singular mind with singular goals. Some of it even sounds like he's scouting the Duke team more than putting himself IN the practice. He's definitely very "on to the next one" about it.
But ahhh, Austin. If I'm at liberty too embellish. He's a different animal. He's thoughtful. There's something there. He talked to his coach. He asked how his AAU coach felt. He inquired with his girlfriend. He inquired with his dad. I'm sure he's talked to his brother. He took his AAU coach to campus. He's a FAMILY guy. He actually took something away from his conversations with the players. He wants that National Championship. And just like Harrison fits the mold of typical UNC stud - so does Austin fit Duke.
Harrison might have said we - but he never said family...
But hey - Roy Williams can always pull a Pat Riley and retire Doc Rivers number...
Anyway, it's late and the Magic just hit 17,000 threes on the Hawks. I'm calling it a night.
Ordinarily, I wouldn't waste any more bandwidth on Barnes here, but I have to take issue with your statement. Here's an excerpt from the ESPN article published after Barnes committed to UNC:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recru...ory?id=4900463
Barnes enjoyed the recruiting process. Despite hundreds of letters and phone calls, he remained thorough and organized.
By the end, Barnes said his decision to go to North Carolina was obvious.
"Honestly, I really didn't have a second choice," Barnes said. "It was that clear-cut."
Based on my understanding of the impression that Barnes conveyed to Coach K and how he acted towards the Duke program throughout his recruitment, I find it difficult to consider the quoted statement from Barnes as anything other than a deliberate snipe at Duke. I've seen Duke and Carolina vying closely for the same recruits over the years, with each school winning some of those battles and losing others. But of all the players who were courted by and showed an interest in both schools, I don't recall any other who went out of his way to insult that school and coach by declaring that they weren't even considered a legitimate alternative.
Agreed. When someone does everything during the recruiting process to make you think that you're firmly in the running (or even in the lead) and then later say there was no second choice speaks to his character.
Oh and Austin Rivers is awesome, just to keep this on topic