Swift Takeover Occuring in Chapel Hill: Why UNC Mens College Hoops Is Electric

North Carolina has once again positioned themselves atop the NCAA Men's rankings going into the 2011-12 season. Roy Williams has also managed to keep last year’s talented bunch as well, all of them.

There is no question that North Carolina is the best team in the nation right now.

They are poised veterans at this point, with the expectations of nothing less than a National title in March. Harrison Barnes and Tyler Zeller are going to stampede into other campus’s gyms like they’re the beaches of Normandy.

The starting line-up of Marshall, Strickland, Barnes, Henson and Zeller is just the beginning.

The reserves could also put together a team that could compete nationally.

Reggie Bullock will be back this year. It is easy to forget how great of a player he can be due to his limited action last year from injuries. Bullock will be accompanied by another sharpshooter in PJ Hairston, an extremely physical player who is lights out from deep.

McAdoo will add to an already stacked front court. Along with big man Desmond Hubert out of New Jersey who should make an immediate impact on defense. 

Possessing back to back top recruiting classes distinguishes a team as great, but to have that happen for two years AND keep all of your top scorers is very rare in today’s college basketball landscape.

This is exactly what North Carolina has been able to achieve.

Though the talent has decided to come back this year, it is very unlikely that they will make a similar choice come March of next year.

Harrison Barnes will be leaving. You can take that to the bank with you.

Zeller will graduate and likely maneuver his way into a top 10 pick of next year’s NBA draft. Those two players are guaranteed. The remaining pool of talent has a few question marks in reference to whether they will come back in 2012 or not.

John Henson could do wonders for his game and legacy at UNC if he decided to return for his senior campaign. He will carve his place in Chapel Hill hearts should he choose to stay.

Kendall Marshall seems grounded enough to understand that another year under his belt could also sky rocket his draft stock and even allow him to chase back-to-back titles, if they win this year of course. So we will assume he stays.

Top PF McAdoo is being hyped up all throughout message boards about his status as a potential lottery pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. However, all arrows point to him returning since almost all of his minutes this season will be off the bench backing up Barnes and Henson.

McAdoo's decision to come back and team up with Marshall, Henson, Hairston and Bullock would pay extreme dividends. Throw in top 2012 PG Marcus Paige and the high-flyer out of Wisconsin JP Tokoto, two commits for the 2012 class out of high school and that makes for a dangerously good chance of competing for another National title in 2013.  

North Carolina has also received a verbal commitment from the #11 center in the 2012 class. Joel James is 6’10 and 270 pounds with more room to grow. James did not take long to commit to the Heels, doing so two weeks after he received an offer.

North Carolina has had its share of setbacks.

First, the Wear twins leaving the program after the 2010 season. They decided Chapel Hill was not the right fit and transferred to UCLA, leaving UNC without two very talented big men. This hampered the front court depth last year and Kentucky was able to expose that weakness in the Elite 8 matchup.

This year, they will start the season without the talent of Leslie McDonald off the bench, a deep threat veteran that UNC could definitely use. He was looking very sharp this summer in the NC Pro AM until he unfortunately suffered a torn ACL. If all goes well with the rehab process, Roy Williams expects McDonald to be a contributor by the time March rolls around.

All in all, there are many contributing outliers to the potential success that will inevitably arise in the future for the Tar Heels. For a program that has always been the pinnacle of hard work and victory in college basketball, UNC fans have many bright years to look forward to.

From this point on, it is simply a snowball effect.

Joel James was the most recent high school standout to commit to the Tar Heels, coming in with Paige and Tokoto. There is an extremely likely chance of Brice Johnson, the number nine power forward in the 2012 class joining them as well. He has previously made two visits to Chapel Hill and has given very positive feedback regarding both of them.

The attention faded from Johnson due to an injury that kept him out of play for the beginning of spring and summer. Roy Williams kept spear heading the recruitment though, placing the Heels in very good position to land Johnson and round out an outstanding class for 2012.

Roy Williams is not about to let another season like 2009-2010 happen again. Recruiting has been the primary goal and it shows. There are still many outstanding offers to great players in the 2012 class. Mitch McGary is the number three overall prospect and has UNC atop his list of schools.

TJ Warren is the number six SF of the class and also McGary's teammate at Brewster Academy. I am not sure how the James commit will effect either of those players. But if it does not effect their choices and UNC lands both players, that would be one of the most historic recruiting classes we'll ever see.

There is swift take over occurring in college basketball, all of it deriving from Chapel Hill, North Carolina.