UNC Basketball: The Sophomore Express

When the North Carolina Tar Heels season ended with an Elite 8 loss to Kansas the mass exodus of players leaving early for the NBA opened many doors for UNCs collection of young talent.  Gone are the staples of the program over the last few years.  Kendall Marshall the most valuable and probably least respected player in the nation in terms of being awarded individual accolades.  Tyler Zeller, the last member of the 2009 national championship and the teams most consistent offensive player.  John Henson, the two time defending ACC Defensive Player of the Year.  And Harrison Barnes, maybe the most scrutinized player the Tar Heels have had on it’s roster in the last decade.  All are now gone.

Most programs would be crippled losing all those assets at once.  Not Carolina, as the corny saying goes, UNC doesn’t rebuild, they reload.  The thing about the 2012 roster is that for the most part, the shelves will be restocked internally, not by the incoming recruiting class.  Don’t get me wrong, Marcus Paige, JP Tokoto, Brice Johnson and Joel James will have an impact on the season.  Paige especially will play a big role.

The sophomores on the roster have a chance to become the next wave of stars for the team.  James Michael McAdoo, PJ Hairston and Desmond Hubert all will have a chance to become major contributors with the increase in playing time they will see.

James Michael McAdoo: McAdoo has almost been crown a superstar before he even takes off by Tar Heel Nation.  Normally, heaping this much praise on a guy that averaged five points per game is stupid.  James Michael is different,McAdoo showed a lot of promise in the postseason.  He’s as physically gifted as any big man in the NATION.  He runs like a guard, handles like a small forward and finishes like an powerful big man.

McAdoo wandered around like a lost puppy for much of the season as a freshman.  He couldn’t adjust to the limited playing time stuck behind Henson and Zeller.  When he was given an opportunity to start, he came through on both ends of the floor.  He’s still got work to do, especially defensively.  All the stars seem perfectly aligned for this sophomore to take off in 2012.

PJ Hairston: Hairston may be the anti-McAdoo.  He came into Chapel Hill the same as James Michael.  A five star stud prospect with a terrific all around game that seemed perfect for Carolina.  He started off strong with a couple of big performances shooting the ball early in the season.  It looked like Hairston may just take the sixth man role at one point.

But eventually his limited role caught up to him.  Hairston became a stand still jump shooter who couldn’t hit the ocean with his feet in the wet sand.  PJ couldn’t find a way to contribute and played poorly for most of the season.  He found a way to play okay in the postseason but wasn’t nearly as impressive as his counterpart McAdoo.

With the perimeter loaded in 2012 with the returns of Dexter Strickland and Leslie McDonald from injury and the addition of JP Tokoto.  Hairston has become almost the forgotten man.  Returning junior Reggie Bullock and McDonald have earned most critics nod as the next perimeter star in Carolina.  Tokoto is the new obsession of the fan base with his endless collection of highlight reel dunks.  Hairston however has just as good of a chance as any of those players at breaking out and becoming a star this season.  PJ has the total package.  A terrific jump shot with the perfect, quick release.  He can drive to the basket and create his own shot.  He’s excellent in transition and can be a killer when rising up and finishing at the basket.  You just wouldn’t know this by watching his freshman season. 

Desmond Hubert: Hubert is a very underrated and under-appreciated player.  I firmly believe that Hubert will have a solid four year career in Chapel Hill.  Desmond didn’t get much press as a three star recruit last season.  Stuck behind Zeller, Henson and McAdoo (not to mention Justin Watts mascaraing as a PF sometimes) he had little to no impact as a freshman.  With all this talent, it’s easy to write off a guy like Desmond Hubert, it’s just not wise.

Hubert is long, very long, he blocks shots well and can rebound the basketball.  He needs to gain some weight and become better at owning his area of the paint.  He also needs a lot of work offensively, especially around the basket.  But the kid has talent and a lot of upside.

What do you think the Tar Heels sophomores will do this upcoming season?