It’s like the Puff Daddy of college basketball.
Can’t stop. Won’t stop.
Harrison Barnes was reportedly out playing pick-up basketball with teammates today.
“Just spoke with Harrison Barnes after his pickup game at Granville,” Jarrard Cole, managing editor of The Daily Tarheel tweeted. “No decision made yet. No timeline for his decision either.”
The paper also ran a quick blog post reporting the same thing.
And this might all be Barnes blowing smoke, or simply shrugging off the question. It could also be a complete farce.
But, if we take the story for what it is – and look at it unbiased – it screams for our attention. April 24 is the NBA Early Entry Eligibility Deadline. That is, roughly, 10 days away.
If he were seriously considering the NBA (or even lightly) he would have a timetable in mind. He would say, I’ll have my decision by April 24, or next week, or soon.
He wouldn’t brush it aside.
To take it one step further, if he were planning on moving to the NBA he wouldn’t be out playing pick-up basketball with friends, teammates, relatives, kids on the corner, or the homeless guys under the bridge. He would be working on his form, perfecting his technique, resting.
Nor would he be enrolling in classes, as reported earlier Wednesday.
The last, and perhaps most telling, piece of information: his teammates are sticking around, too. John Henson and Tyler Zeller plan on returning. To think they aren’t coaxing Barnes to stay is naive.
He is going to the NBA.
1) Weak draft means it will be easier to get drafted higher = more money.
2) He is keeping his options open by registering for classes because that probably has an earlier deadline then April 24th and there is no penalty for dropping classes that early.
3) Coming back to win a championship is crazy talk. Ask the Nolan Smith, how did that turn out. The NCAA tourney is more of a dice roll then it is science at picking at champ. (aka VCU in final four…really are they atleast the 4th best team in the nation…survey says….no)
He is going to the NBA.
1) Weak draft means it will be easier to get drafted higher = more money.
2) He is keeping his options open by registering for classes because that probably has an earlier deadline then April 24th and there is no penalty for dropping classes that early.
3) Coming back to win a championship is crazy talk. Ask the Nolan Smith, how did that turn out. The NCAA tourney is more of a dice roll then it is science at picking at champ. (aka VCU in final four…really are they atleast the 4th best team in the nation…survey says….no)