Growing up in a Carolina blue household you are ingrained with a distaste for all things Duke related. So seeing a Duke coach become the all-time leader in wins is a tough pill to swallow. However over the years, even as a Carolina fan, you have to appreciate what Coach K has done not only for the ACC but for college basketball as a whole. Continue reading
Last season North Carolina’s mid-season surge (with the insertion of Kendall Marshall into the starting lineup) led them to the ACC title. They return all of their core pieces so it’s no surprise that they will be favored for a repeat, but lets rank the rest of the conference as well as predict the All-ACC teams. Continue reading
Yesterday we looked at five freshmen that will be key contributors this upcoming season, today we will look at the sophomore class. Everyone knows all the big names from last year such as: Jared Sullinger and Harrison Barnes so I will shed some light on some lesser known guys. Continue reading
One of the top guards in the 2012 class, Rodney Purvis, has chose to stay home and attend North Carolina State. Purvis is the #9 recruit in our 2012 rankings, and has a ton of upside. His decision comes as somewhat of a surprise considering most people felt that UCONN was the favorite to land him.
This is an extremely huge get for the ‘Pack, this will help put NC ST back on the map, after recent struggles. The 6’4″ combo guard is exactly what they needed, and this sign will certainly help future recruiting.
Purvis’ road to get here has been dramatic to say the least. He exploded on the national scene in the 8th grade and has been one of the most talked about players since.
He attends Upper Room Christian Academy (NC) which used to be only a elementary and middle school, but decided to also become a high school in order to keep Purvis. You know you are a special talent when they are creating high schools for you. He was also originally a member of the 2013 class, but reclassified to join the 2012 class.
Purvis first committed to Louisville last December, but later backed off of that and reopened his recruitment. Leading up to his decision today, he was considering Ohio State, Memphis, North Carolina Central, UCONN, and NC State. But it was North Carolina State who landed the elite guard’s services.
Purvis will be counted on to contribute from day one, he has all the tools to come in and lead a team from the jump. The comparison to Dwayne Wade is a popular one and has a lot of merit. Purvis is built almost identically and possesses a skill set very similar to DWade’s. When it’s all said and done Purvis could very well be the best player out of this class, but only time will tell.
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Few players helped their stock this summer more than Flint, Michigan’s JaVontae Hawkins. Hawkins, a 6’5” shooting guard, has continued to rise up the 2012 rankings due in large part to his performances this summer with his AAU team, the Michigan Mustangs. Hawkins is one of the most complete SGs in the class, and holds offers from a laundry list of top schools. He is one of the better athletes in the class but also is very skilled.
After spending his first three years of high school in his hometown of Flint, Michigan Hawkins decided to transfer to Huntington Prep (Huntington, WV) for his senior season. After losing two brothers in a matter of 3 years due to shootings, he has strived to make it out of Flint and to be a success. Although it is certainly something that nobody would chose to go through, it has made him a more driven and stronger person. I recently caught up with JaVontae to get the latest on his recruitment and his decision to attend Huntington Prep. Continue reading
When you ask most people about North Carolina’s team this year, usually the first name you will hear is Harrison Barnes, and rightfully so. Barnes is a special player and will likely be a top 3 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. However, he is not the most important player to the team and their chase for a National Title this season. That title belongs to fellow sophomore, point guard, Kendall Marshall.
Last season the Tar Heels started the season playing very up-and-down with loses early to Vandy, Minnesota, and Illinois. They began ACC play with close wins over Virginia and Virginia Tech. The offense was lackluster to say the least, and highly touted freshman Harrison Barnes was struggling, causing many media members to question the hype he had received coming into the year. But Barnes wasn’t the only one, the team as a whole wasn’t living up to expectations. Continue reading
