North Carolina coach upbeat despite no Class of '07 signees
Roy Williams can't understand the fuss over North Carolina's recent recruiting misses.
He has one of the nation's top centers, Tyler Hansbrough, among five McDonald's All-Americans on a leading contender for the 2008 Final Four. The Tar Heels won the NCAA title in 2005 and the ACC in 2007.
But on a few occasions, fans who could have been excited by the recent results and the upcoming season told the Tar Heels coach they were worried about recruiting after North Carolina didn't sign anybody in the Class of 2007.
"I only had one scholarship," Williams said he's told fans.
Recently, the Tar Heels lost out to other schools on Class of 2008 top-10 prospects Delvon Roe (Michigan State) and Samardo Samuels (Louisville). North Carolina still has a chance at a strong crop of Class of 2008 recruits, but the rise of Internet coverage allows fans to agonize over every commitment.
The recruiting landscape has changed in the wake of the NBA age limit that forces players to wait a year after their high school graduation before entering the draft. Some recruiting experts think players planning to spend just one year in college will choose schools close to their homes.
Coaches are split on that theory. Williams said it might be valid, but he added it's always been difficult to get players to leave home. Louisville's Rick Pitino is skeptical, and Duke assistant Steve Wojciechowski said it's difficult to generalize.
All-Star Sports recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons believes players who envision short college careers are staying near home.
"I think that's why UCLA and Ohio State are having great success (in recruiting)," Gibbons said. "They're getting kids located near where their school is."
Eight of the 13 scout.com national top 25 players who have committed have chosen in-state schools. That's not good for Duke or North Carolina, which recruit nationally and are in a state that has produced few top prospects recently.
For recruits seeking guarantees of immediate playing time, North Carolina's stacked roster could be a hindrance even as it makes the Tar Heels a national title favorite. Williams loaded up in 2005 with three McDonald's All-Americans plus Marcus Ginyard and in 2006 with a class featuring No. 1-rated players at three positions -- Tywon Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Brandan Wright.
That left just one scholarship available for the Class of 2007. Williams focused on Lake Oswego, Ore., center Kevin Love, considered by some the top player in the class.
North Carolina was one of two finalists for Love, but he chose UCLA. Then Roe and Samuels turned down North Carolina scholarship offers.
"Blue heaven is a bit cloudy in recruiting," Gibbons said.
"It creates a sense of urgency for the month of July for (North Carolina)," said scout.com analyst Dave Telep. "They missed on some key guys early. It happens."
North Carolina's work on the Class of 2008 isn't finished, though, and the Tar Heels have a commitment from 6-foot Larry Drew of Woodland Hills, Calif., who is likely to inherit point guard duties from Tywon Lawson at some point.
Forward Ed Davis of Richmond, rated No. 2 in the class by scout.com, lists North Carolina as one of his finalists along with Virginia and Connecticut. Forward Al-Farouq Aminu, a top-10 player from Norcross, Ga., includes North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest as finalists.
Tyler Zeller, a 6-11 forward from Washington, Ind., is considering North Carolina and a bunch of schools located mostly in the Midwest.
"The position I felt like we had to have some support in is point guard," Williams said Friday after watching Davis play at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio. "I feel good about the quality of the kids we're recruiting."
Drew gives the Tar Heels one more commitment than rival Duke. But Duke signed three McDonald's All-Americans in the Class of 2007, and its top targets -- 6-9 Greg Monroe of Gretna, La., and 6-4 Elliot Williams of Collierville, Tenn., -- are undecided.
That's why North Carolina fans have more angst about recruiting than Duke fans. But with the early signing period four months away and many top prospects undecided, Roy Williams wishes fans would find something else to worry about.
"It's way too early to talk," he said.
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