To go along with the three that came in last season.
UNC class of 2009 recruits Dexter Strickland, John Henson, David and Travis Wear were all selected to play in the McDonald’s All America game. UNC leads all schools with four and the ACC has nine total with Duke grabbing two. Clemson, Florida State and Georgia Tech all have one. I would say this bodes well for the future of the ACC but we all know the GT recruit is going to the NBA after one season and one of those Duke players will end of transferring.
One more thing, the player everyone wants, John Wall, is not eligible to play in this game since he is a fifth year senior in high school. That would explain why he is so upfront about only being a one year player in college but also makes me wonder if he is close enough to 19 to declare now? Remember, you do not have to be 19 at the time of the draft, at least that was the case for Kevin Durant who turned 19 the September following the 2007 NBA Draft in which he was taken #2.
The McDonald’s All American game will take place on April 1st at 8:00 PM and will likely be televised by ESPN.
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No, Wall has to go to one year of college regardless. Here is the rule
(b) A player shall be eligible for selection in the first NBA Draft with respect to which he has satisfied all applicable requirements of Section 1(b)(i) below and one of the requirements of Section 1(b)(ii) below:
(i) The player (A) is or will be at least 19 years of age during the calendar year in which the Draft is held, and (B) with respect to a player who is not an international player (defined below), at least one (1) NBA Season has elapsed since the player’s graduation from high school (or, if the player did not graduate from high school, since the graduation of the class with which the player would have graduated had he graduated from high school)[.]
Only the 4th time a team has had 4 McD’s in its recruiting class:
1990: UNC – Montross, Rozier, Phelps and Reese
1991: Michigan – Webber, Rose, Howard, and King
1999: Duke – Boozer, Dunleavy, Williams, and Sanders
It is also the first time a school has recruited more than 6 McD’s over a two-year stretch. I’d say Roy is earning his paycheck!
I’ve never really understood (I guess I haven’t thoroughly searched) how the McDonalds’ selection process is done. I always thought it was supposed to be the top 20 or 25 players yet we always seem to get a lot of players in the game, those that are often much further down in the top 50. How is that?
C.Michael – I take it that you are making the very good point that UNC should be cutting down the nets in 2011 and/or 2012.
It’s not just about ability, scholarship and character are contributing factors, as well.
http://www.insidethegames.net/
Thanks for the link, C.Michael. My search laziness shows.
C.Michael’s list bodes well:
1990 class –> 1993 national title
1991 class –> 1992 and 1993 runner up
1999 class –> 2001 national title
wb3-
Depends who stays that long, but the future certainly looks bright from here!
Larry-
I should add that being recruited by certain schools can also help your shot at getting into the McD game. Let’s be honest, if UNC/Duke/UCLA/Kansas etc. recruits you, that is a pretty good indication that you can both play and are of decent character.
Most definitely (as Serge Zwicker always would say), C. Michael. It’s an indicator of talent for college play and beyond. Duke fans, though, may be starting to wonder what it really means with all the McDonalds’ players they’ve had. Duke’s situation reminds me of a when I was a teenager. My mom always tried to get me to go out with this one girl because she was a girl of decent character. She just wasn’t very hot.
If I were a Duke fan, I’d be wondering, too… but it may be more about what happens after they enroll in Durham, as opposed to their actual talent level. Kelly will be an interesting study, because we know that Roy wanted him.
Good stuff here, the Top-25 if everyone stayed 4 years:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/125457-ncaa-mens-basketball-top-25-if-all-players-had-to-stay-four-years
I’ve always enjoyed these. This is really the first year in a while where UNC would be less dominant if everyone stayed. The “What If” team from last year would have been an all-time great:
C: Dwight Howard – Sr.
PF: Brandan Wright – Soph.
SF: Marvin Williams – Sr.
SG: JR Smith – Sr.
PG: Ty Lawson – Soph.
Bench: QT, Hansbrough, Green, Frasor, Ginyard, Ellington, Thompson, Stepheson
I hope Strickland can play the point because UNC’s best player is unlikely to be back on the floor for Carolina next year:
http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/d1scourse/2009/Feb/18/um-ty-lawson-is-really-really-good/
In addition to these four, next year we should certainly have 7 including Larry, Zeller, and Ed.
- and hopefully 9 with Ty and Wayne?
wb3-
Like I’ve said before, I’d be perfectly fine if Ty and WE go ahead and make themselves a whole bunch of money this March, if you know what I mean!
This bodes well for next year.
Having four is good, obviously, because of the error factor in assessing talent. I did not realize that Drew was a McDonald’s All American, but just in general, you have guys like Greg Paulus and Josh McRoberts at Duke, and Curtis Hunter and probably others at UNC, who vastly underperform in college vis-a-vis their high school accolades.
I think that if Carolina does not win it all this year, it will be Roy Williams’ 1984.
In the last 20 years, the biggest UNC “busts” as McD’s AAs are probably Matt Wenstrom, Ronald Curry (his hype was far too high, but injuries hurt him as well), and Neil Fingelton (who never should have been one to begin with; this was just a novelty act).
“…..if Carolina does not win it all this year, it will be Roy Williams’ 1984.”
I didn’t understand your point, William. (Can’t remember that far back) What does it mean?
Curry was quite unique–I saw him as a senior in the Holiday Tournament, and he was truly a man among boys. Huge disappointment after that. Kevin Madden I also felt was a relative bust.
I have heard that some Duke and Carolina guys get touted by being recruited, rather than the reverse. Fingleton had to be the tops. When most of us heard that UNC had a 7’5″ McDonalds guy coming in, we thought, …..” Too bad, he couldn’t make it up and down the court.
I guess Monross and Rozier had a cup of coffee in the NBA, but UNC’s 1991 recruits were a strange lot. It is hard to be seen as underperformers when you win the national title (and make the Final Four as freshmen), but individually, Phelps, Reese, Sullivan, Rozier and Montross(except for his great junior year) were sort of disappointing given that they were supposed to be the greatest recruiting class of all time–although that designation only lasted one year, lol.
I guess Rozier had severe problems outside of basketball.
http://www.sptimes.com/News/062001/Sports/Mind_in_prison_.shtml
It would have been interesting to see how Curry would have done had he only played basketball. That’s got to be part of it.
“I have heard that some Duke and Carolina guys get touted by being recruited, rather than the reverse.”
I think you are right, but isn’t this a bit a chicken/egg argument? I mean, we are talking Duke and North Carolina. If I’m a casual fan and know nothing about HS hoops, but I hear that a local kid is getting recruited by either of these schools, then it is not too much of a leap of faith to assume that he (or she, actually) is a real, serious, baller.
maybe so Larry–I just felt he never developed enough self-confidence, which could be injury-related.
Jeez I’m dense sometimes, William. Of course, the 1984 Heels analogy.
I thought Montross played in the NBA for 8-9 years? He wasn’t an all-star but most college basketball players would take that over the NBDL or a non-European (i.e., non-decent paying) league.
Played a lot his first 3 years, then injuries took their toll.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/montrer01.html
There have been 30 NCAA champs since the first McDonald’s All-Americans stepped on campus (1978-1979). Can anyone name the team (or teams) that have NOT had at least one such player on its roster?
I know Maryland in 2002 is one, probably the only one. At least that gives Gary Williams something to hang his hat on when he gets criticized for recruiting.
Oh man…NC State, 1983? Maybe Arkansas ’94, but I’m pretty sure that Big Nasty was a Mac All-American.
Villanova ’85 always seems too obvious. Pickney must’ve been a Mac AA.
Larry got it. That Maryland team is the ONLY champ of the last 30 to not have one its roster. Remember that when you fill out your brackets!!
DF, you were right about Corliss, but State had Lowe and Whittenberg.
C Michael-
Did I miss something? Dwight Howard? I remember JR Smith being on the radar, but how could I have overlooked Howard!
I would like to mention that Dean nearly landed one of the greatest recruiting classes ever from 1989. “The Warrior” George Lynch was supposed to be joined by Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Anderson. In fact, Bobby Hurley wanted to come to UNC, but Dean told him that they were going to take Kenny Anderson. Just imagine how that would have gone down.
As for O’Neal, he gave Dean a 90% sure verbal before his daddy talked him into playing closer to home.
OK guys, I’ve got one. Who was the winner of the 3 point shooting contest at the 2008 McDonald’s All American game. This should be easy. (No Googleing – lol)
Larry Drew
You ‘da man, THF. You win a “Tar Heel Fight Song” ink pen. I guess the “carry over” effect hasn’t kicked in yet.
DF,
You’re right, Dwight never actually signed, but he has said on countless times that UNC would have been the choice. The only guys to actually sign that year were Marvin, QT, JR Smith, and Jameson Curry.
Looks like the discussion on shin splints yesterday was much ado about nothing:
http://bustersports.com/accposts.aspx?id=2717&blogid=77
Jones has some egg on his face, IMO.
^ Buster says that he had a source, but that source has been contradicted. As long as Tyler plays like he did last night, though, not sure it matters if his shins are hurting a little.
“As long as Tyler plays like he did last night, though, not sure it matters if his shins are hurting a little.”
Agreed on that point. I still think his initial story was a load of B.S.
You ever notice how reporters always say “I stand by my sources”, even when proven wrong.
They might want to consider getting more reliable sources.
Yes, and to me, that is a direct indication that the “sources” were the voices inside said reporter’s head.
The fact that these guys are MD’s does not suprise me the least bit, as I expected them to be (lofty UNC expectations continue). But C. Michael, you are right about the Lawson post. All accounts I have seen logging Dexter’s abilities point to him being primarily a good shooting guard, that by the way, has decent point guard skills. I just can’t see us pushing this kind of tempo next year, but we will have guys that have a great half-court ability with our length and versatility, and I am sure Dexter, Wear twins, Drew (he’ll show up) and McDonald will be very good peremiter shooters.
Kansas in 1997 was similar to UNC in 1984, but Kansas did, at least, lose to the eventual national champion, Arizona, and probably was not quite as highly touted all year as this UNC squad. Carolina fans love being on top, but if we don’t win it this year, be ready for some smack-talk and future criticism about how we couldn’t even win it all with five senior All American starters on our squad.
William-
Being a Carolina fan is about enduring the smack-talk sessions. It will never go away. I’m still not over the aftermath of both the ’94 NCAA tournament and/or the 1998 Final Four. We’ve been in this position before and we will be again. That 2005 title has really sustained us and has validated our place as arguably the top program in the country. Still, the stat that my “all knowing” friends like to put out there is the 18:4 ratio, which is, 18 Final Fours and “only” four national titles. Actually, there have been five championship teams and then you have the 1977, 1984, 1998, and 2008 teams to throw into the ocnversation. Dean never was affiliated with a sugar daddy and nor was his program. UCLA were. I’ll save that rant for another time, another place. Should we have more national titles? Maybe. But at the cost of selling our souls for a 15 year run? No thanks. I’ll go with the more consistent, honest champion.
There may be some smack talk and criticism if we don’t win William, but it won’t come from me. If one has closely followed the NCAA tournament for years and is being realistic about the difficulty in winning 6 straight games, then one tends to be more accepting of success short of the championship. True, I would hate to see us go out in the Sweet Sixteen, for example, but it does happen. It takes some good fortune, some very consistent play, and a little luck to go all the way. The closest game each of the last six NCAA champions had in the tournament was as follows:
2008 Kansas 2 points
2007 Florida 7 points
2006 Florida 4 points
2005 UNC 1 point
2004 U Conn 1 point
2003 Syracuse 1 point
Which makes the back to back wins of Forida all the more remarkable
The average hoops fan is an idiot…and by “idiot” I refer of course to no one who regularly posts here. Bob Knight has said as much himself, and I’ve heard Bobby Bowden say the same thing regards to boosters who never played a down of football in their life.
I’ll take 18 runs to the Final Four…it is very, very difficult to play the most excellent basketball necessary to win 6 games in 3 consecutive weekends.
This idea is typically rooted in that Wooden won 10 total, and 7 in a row. That would not be repeated today…not even a chance. Bigger field, too much parity. Heck, when NC State win in 1974 a top-5 team wasn’t in the NCAA field at all: Maryland !
We should find a Houston Cougar fan from the Phi-Slamma days…they know what it’s like to hurt and bleed in March. Three years straight. Heck, Ewing and those Hoya teams played in 3 title games and won it all in 1984.
UNLV in 1991 and Duke in 1999 were both heavily favored teams for much of that season. I recall them being # 1 and no one else nearing to be # 1B. This season…now obviosly enough there are a good handful of teams capable of making a run to the Final Four.
“I’ll take 18 runs to the Final Four…it is very, very difficult to play the most excellent basketball necessary to win 6 games in 3 consecutive weekends.”
Amen. To me, no matter what the expectations, a regular season ACC title and a trip to the Final constitutes a very, very, special season.
K was once criticized for his amount of final 4 appearances that didn’t come to fruition in championships. I am much less heartbroken now about losing in a final 4 situation because I think we will continue to have good enough teams to get back to that point. Don’t you all think we have a chance to run a string of consecutive sweet 16′s like we did before? I certainly think so, and out of those, I imagine a few of our teams will be great enough to be considered ahead of the pack and NC worthy. With that being said, I do have expectations of cutting down the nets this year.
c michael,
i love the what ifs myself but i would think some recruits would not have come given the stacked roster. but still that’s a nice looking one.
also, kobe has said that he would’ve played at dook. maybe that’s why i can’t ever warm up to the guy. or maybe it was the whole colorado incident… i don’t believe lebron ever admitted to one favorite school.
heeled,
You’re probably right. And If I was going to be a stickler, I would have to take one of Tyler, Bobby, Marcus, or Danny off the roster because there would have only been room on the roster for three of them, assuming May, Felton, McCants, Williams, Howard, and Smith were all on the 2005-06 roster. Which, BTW, is another ridiculous team to look at.
As for LeBron, it was always assumed that Ohio St. would have been his choice, but he said at the this past All-Star game that UNC was a likely destination. What is interesting about that is he would have been a Doh recruit, and while his freshman year would have been Roy’s first year, you have to wonder if UNC would have fired Doh knowing they would risk losing LeBron???
Our 2003 recruiting class would have been Reyshawn and Lebron.
That doesn’t seem like a difficult cut to me, C. Michael.
I am glad you guys are in such good humor, which is quite different from the mood when we lost to G-town two years back and people were furious about Roy’s end of the game strategy. That loss didn’t bother me nearly as much as the debacle against Kansas last year. If a person believes that a coach is supposed to have his guys ready to play (and I don’t know whether I believe it or not, but most people do), then Roy seemingly did not have the team ready for that game. Dean had a game like that as well, back in 1972, against FSU, but I was not watching basketball back then.
Going through old rosters, I was struck by the 1994 Heels and not just because of the big names, but because there literally were no scrubs or practice guys or what have you. The three “weakest” guys on that team were Larry Davis(future star for Fogler at USC), Pierce Landry (Morehead Scholar and future starter) and Serge Zwikker(future starting center in the Final Four). Note Montross’s weight. He was like a slab of granite.
From 1 through 12, UNC has never had a roster like this one:
00 Eric Montross C SR 7-0 270 Indianapolis, IN Lawrence North
4 Larry Davis G SO 6-1 Denmark, SC
5 Jeff McInnis G FR 6-3 190 Charlotte, NC Oak Hill Academy
14 Derrick Phelps G SR 6-4 180 Pleasantville, NY Christ The King
21 Donald Williams G JR 6-3 Garner, NC Garner
22 Pearce Landry G JR 6-5 Greensboro, NC Page
24 Dante Calabria G SO 6-4 Beaver Falls, PA Blackhawk
30 Rasheed Wallace C FR 6-10 225 Philadelphia, PA Gratz
31 Brian Reese F SR 6-6 The Bronx, NY St. Nicholas of Tolentine
33 Kevin Salvadori F SR 7-0 Pittsburgh, PA Seton-LaSalle
42 Jerry Stackhouse F FR 6-6 215 Kinston, NC Kinston
45 Serge Zwikker C FR 7-2 Maassluis, NL Harker Prep
“That doesn’t seem like a difficult cut to me, C. Michael.”
The order to commit was: Marcus, Bobby, Tyler, Danny. So by that logic, Danny would have been gone. Although, with May, Howard, and Williams on board for 2005-06, and Roy recruiting Brandan Wright for the year after, I’m guess Hansbrough would be the one left off.
And don’t forget, Roy told Thaddeus Young, we didn’t want him after we got Wright. I think Roy only wanted one one and done guy.
Agreed. I think one and done guys are fine so long as they fill a specific need on that team and you also recruit a player behind them. Brandan Wright was a great fit on the 2007 team, and Roy had Deon and Alex behind him, so it worked. Same should be true of Henson next year, with the Wears behind him.
Nice article on the Wears:
http://sports.espn.go.com/highschool/rise/basketball/boys/news/story?id=3916411
Amazing to have three 6’10″ guys who started their careers as guards. K wants to play a “five-forward” lineup, fine… defend this:
John Henson – 6’10″
David Wear – 6’10″
Travis Wear – 6’10″
Ed Davis = 6’10
Tyler Zeller – 7’0″
It would be like the Globetrotters going in and out and under those guys legs. You need some smalls too.
I prefer the image of a High School senior playing against 6-year olds…
Obviously, my previous post was heavy on the sarcasm… (Although, since there is no “sarcasm-font,” maybe that wasn’t so obvious…)
I will gladly take a one and done guy if he helps contribute to a final 4 run or better. Just gotta live with it. I will take several guys leaving if it is due to a National Championship. I would do 04-05 and 05-06 again, any day. Our slackoff from National Championship guys leaving will not put us in a bad situation with the way we are getting the kids in.
I knew you were joking, but I still had to get my Globetrotters reference in for these kids who never saw the cartoon….