It was with great pleasure that I read last week that John Henson and Tyler Zeller announced they were returning to the University of North Carolina to continue their college basketball careers. It really surprised me that they even considered turning pro. I honestly didn't see either one being high draft picks if they even went in the first round.
John Henson needs to get bigger and stronger. He is a great defensive presence but he will get pushed around in the NBA especially on the inside where they don't call fouls. He also needs to work on his offensive game especially with his back to the basket. He is prone to the double team and turns the ball over way too much.
Tyler Zeller is a small forward trapped in a centers body. He has a good inside game but is also prone to the double team. He is not the defensive presence that Henson is and can be pushed around under the basket by bigger centers. Zellers strength is in running the court. He may be the best I have ever seen on the leak out on the fastbreak. I don't think he will get too many of those opportunities in the NBA.
Harrison Barnes is the "X" factor in this group. Most people believe he will be a top five pick in the draft but I don't think he is ready to go pro. His game has alot of holes from his jump shot to his unwillingness to drive to the basket. He used the drive more as soon as the season progressed but he still settled for the jump shot too often. The money, if that is all it is about, will be there if he wants it but it will also be there the year after. I think one factor he needs to consider is the possibility of an NBA lockout.
If Harrison Barnes joins the other two in coming back for one more season, and add the two McDonald's All-Americans coming in, alot of experts are already predicting that UNC would be the preseason #1. Those are lofty expectations and things would finally be back to normal in Chapel Hill.
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