Zeller and Henson to return, no decision from Barnes

The 2010-11 North Carolina men’s basketball season ended two weeks ago. But without confirmation about the return of three starting Tar Heels, the UNC squad hasn’t been able to look firmly toward the future just yet.

But Wednesday, UNC forwards John Henson and Tyler Zeller gave the Tar Heels a little something to look forward to.

The two announced Wednesday they plan to return to UNC and play basketball in the 2011-12 season. Freshman Harrison Barnes has yet to make a decision.

Henson led the Tar Heels on the boards in the 2010-11 campaign, averaging 10.1 rebounds per game. The sophomore was projected to be a lottery pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, but said he still has some unfinished business he wants to complete before leaving North Carolina.

“I want to come back to school next year because I enjoy all aspects of being a college student and I truly love being a Tar Heel,” Henson said in a press release. “We had a fun and successful season, but we all want to improve on what we accomplished.”

Zeller led the Tar Heels in scoring last season, and along with Henson and Barnes, was a second-team All-ACC selection.

The junior said Wednesday that earning his college degree is important to him.

“I came to Carolina because it had the balance of academics and basketball I wanted and it was the best place for me to prepare for life and a career in the NBA,” Zeller said in a press release. “That’s exactly what we have here. I want to finish my college career, compete for championships and graduate on time.”

DraftExpress.com’s director of scouting Jonathan Givony said he wasn’t surprised that Henson and Zeller decided to prolong their college basketball careers, as many recent rumors pointed to their return.

Though it’s too early to predict whether an extra year in college will boost either player’s future draft stock, Givony said another year of collegiate basketball will be beneficial to both Tar Heels.

Givony said Henson should use the 2011-12 season to bulk up.

“He needs to improve offensively, specifically with his shooting, Givony said.

“His free-throw shooting, his perimeter shooting, his ability to score around the basket. And a lot of that is going to come with strength.”

Barnes, who is likely to be a top-five NBA Draft pick, has yet to say whether he plans to return next season, but he was recently taken off NBAdraft.net’s 2011 board.

Shirley Barnes, Harrison Barnes’ mother, told The Daily Tar Heel last week that her son still has goals he wants to fufill, but the freshman has yet to give a hint as to which way he’s leaning.

Barnes said Monday he expects to announce his decision in at least a week and a half. Coach Roy Williams confirmed that compared to his teammates, the freshman is taking more time to decide.

“Harrison is not as far along in his decision-making process as were Tyler and John,” Williams said in a press release. “I am still gathering information on him from NBA teams and hope to provide him with all of that information by the end of next week.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.