ACC Rookie of the Year Harrison Barnes announced Monday morning he would return to North Carolina for his sophomore season.
Barnes, who along with Tyler Zeller led the team in scoring with 15.7 points per game, comes back to a team that will have all five of its starters from the year before.
Had he left UNC, Barnes would have likely been a top-five selection in June’s NBA draft.
Barnes said in his statement that he understands the opportunities that await him in the NBA, but he wants to enjoy life in college and receive a “quality education.”
“As a team, we’re preparing for a special season. My off-season plans are to diligently work on honing my basketball skills in all areas with one team-goal in mind — to bring the 2012 national championship home to UNC.”
Should Barnes fulfill that goal, Roy Williams would have his third national title since 2005.
“I am of course excited to have Harrison back on our team next year,” Williams said in a statement. “It has been a true pleasure to coach him and I look forward to coaching him again next season. He had a difficult decision to make. He really had no wrong decision to choose, but I believe he is coming back to school because he enjoys college basketball, he enjoys the University of North Carolina and he enjoys his teammates. If he had decided to leave for the NBA, that would have been okay, too, because he will always be a Tar Heel. But it will certainly be a lot of fun to coach him again.”
Visit dailytarheel.com for more on Barnes’ decision.
