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RALEIGH - In front of an anxious crowd at his high school and a national TV audience Friday afternoon, top-ranked basketball recruit Harrison Barnes walked to a laptop to connect by video conference to the college coach whose school he planned to sign with.
After an awkward, 70-second pause while the video link was established, coach Roy Williams and the North Carolina team appeared on the projection screen at the Ames High gym in Iowa.
Cheers erupted. Williams explained he'd gathered the whole team on the Chapel Hill end of the video conference.
"Coach, I know you're in practice now, and I've got to get going on signing my letter-of-intent here," Barnes said. "But I just want to let you know that I'll be joining you next year on the squad. I can't wait to play with all you guys."
With the help of the high-tech gadgetry, Barnes announced one of the most highly anticipated recruiting decisions. Barnes, a 6-foot-6 forward rated No.1 in the Class of 2010 by scout.com, also considered Duke, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma and UCLA.
Barnes has had a sort of North Carolina tie. Before he was born, his mother Shirley taped many of former Tar Heels great Michael Jordan's games with the Chicago Bulls.
When her only son was born, she named him Harrison Bryce-Jordan Barnes. During his early September visit to North Carolina for the school's alumni game, Barnes and his family briefly met Jordan, adhering to NCAA rules.
But Barnes cited Williams and his current players as the reason he chose the Tar Heels.
"I just felt that not only is coach Williams so good at instructing the game, I just had a great relationship with the players," Barnes said on TV.
All-Star Sports recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons said that with Barnes joining shooting guard Reggie Bullock of Kinston and point guard Kendall Marshall of Arlington, Va., it's "a coin toss" between the Tar Heels and Ohio State to decide which has the No.1 class.
"I was so impressed watching the whole scenario today, including the way he did it with his technical announcement," Gibbons said. "... This kid is advanced and intelligent beyond his years, and I think Roy once again proves he's the best recruiter not only in the ACC but in the nation. Harrison Barnes will be just a great recruit for North Carolina, and having Kendall Marshall and Reggie Bullock come in alongside him bodes well for the future of the Tar Heels' program."
Barnes' decision was a blow to Duke, which hasn't been to the Final Four since 2004 while the Tar Heels have been to three and won two NCAA titles during that period. Barnes' commitment could make this the fourth time in five years that North Carolina's recruiting class has been rated higher than Duke's by scout.com
Gibbons predicted Duke will try to find another small forward - Oak Hill (Va.) Academy's Roscoe Smith - to play with point guard Kyrie Irving, who's rated as the No.5 player in the class by scout.com. Smith, who's 6-7, is rated No.32 in the nation by scout.com and is uncommitted.
Barnes said his decision was difficult. He said he had grown attached to the coaches at all of the schools, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski included.
"Coach Krzyzewski and I have become very close over the last year and a half," Barnes said. "Duke has high academics and is just unique in a variety of ways."
But rival North Carolina is going to get Barnes as Williams continues to dominate recruiting in the ACC and across the country.
