UNC Tar Heels Poised for Marquee Basketball Class in 2012

UNC has added another arsenal to their recruiting class for 2012 in 6’9" F Brice Johnson out of Cordova, SC.

Johnson had UNC listed among his finalists along with N.C State and Florida.

He is the second big man UNC has gotten to commit for the class. Joel James out of Ft. Lauderdale, FL committed to the Tar Heels three weeks ago.

Now, UNC has a lock on the incoming class with PG Marcus Paige, SF J.P. Tokoto, PF Brice Johnson and C Joel James.

Johnson and James should mold together extremely well for the Heels once they pair up on the blocks.

James is a massive center with tremendous upside. He just started playing basketball within the past four years, so his learning curve is about to hit its peak once Roy Williams gets a grasp on him.

James should dominate the paint with his 6’10," 270-pound frame.

Johnson is a mobile PF who can grab rebounds, block shots and score with an array of different post moves. To be honest, Johnson somewhat reflects the game of Kevin Garnett.

That comparison is extremely premature, of course. It is the potential talent I am speaking of. Johnson is very smooth around the rim and glides through the air.

Do not be surprised to see Kendall Marshall tossing countless alley-oops to his diamond PF in the fall of 2012.

Yes, is said it. I firmly believe Kendall Marshall will skip the next NBA draft and return to the Tar Heels, along with John Henson.

So what does this Johnson commit mean for the Tar Heels' 2012 recruiting class moving forward?

One factor that remains at play is whether Mitch McGary will be swayed by the commitment. McGary, the top PF in the 2012 class, and No. 3 overall, has UNC among his finalists.

McGary’s Brewster Academy teammate and No. 5 SF, TJ Warren, is another prospect that has the Tar Heels among his finalists.

In a perfect world, UNC lands every prospect it is chasing. We all can attest to this imperfection we call a world, though.

I think McGary ends up going to Kentucky, which suits his style of play extremely well.

His teammate, TJ Warren? He suits up for the Tar Heels in 2012, adding to the already stacked class Roy Williams has coming in.

TJ Warren attended Late Night with Roy two weeks ago and reportedly had a great experience. Warren is a Marvin Williams-type player who can step out and shoot or back someone down on the block.

UNC can almost certainly expect to lose Harrison Barnes to the draft.

Others in question for the draft include PF John Henson, C Tyler Zeller (graduating), PF James McAdoo and PG Kendall Marshall.

Another year in college could extremely benefit Henson. This would allow him to bulk up and polish his offensive game. Plus, the kid loves college.

Zeller has no choice but to depart. Marshall is very grounded as a PG and player, and all arrows point to him coming back for another chase at a title.

McAdoo is a player who loves the spotlight and knows how good he is. I believe whether the Tar Heels secure a title in 2012 or not, McAdoo will return for his time as “Big Man on Campus” before heading to the draft.

This would give Brice Johnson an excellent mentor and teammate to learn from.

Once again, UNC keeps itself atop the nation’s best recruiting classes. Look for marquee name TJ Warren to soon flood into this recruiting class.

And for the possibility of another scary starting five going into the fall of 2012—PG Kendall Marshall ( McDonald's All-American), SG Reggie Bullock (McDonald's All-American), SF TJ Warren, PF James McAdoo ( McDonald's All-American), C John Henson ( McDonald's All-American).