UNC Basketball: The 9 lowest lows of the Roy Williams era

9. The Tar Heels’ 2009 recruiting class

The Tar Heels’ 2009 freshman class was the second-highest ranked recruiting haul of the Roy Williams era at North Carolina. Ranked No. 2 in the nation, the five-man class was highlighted by John Henson, the fifth-best prospect in the class according to the 247Sports Composite. The Tar Heels also boasted four other players in the top 50, and had the Atlantic Coast Conference’s No. 1 recruiting class.

But that’s just about where the wheels fell off for the Tar Heels’ 2009 class. Sure, John Henson became a terrific three-year player at North Carolina, and played a pivotal role on a couple of really good UNC squads. There’s no denying that. The other four players, though, not so much.

Dexter Strickland, the No. 30 player in the class, was lauded as a tremendous athlete, terrific ball handler and good finisher at the rim. While he may have showcased his athleticism at times, he rarely made for a suitable backup at the point guard position. And when he had the ball in his hands — especially in traffic or on the fast break — he often looked uncomfortable and out of control. Things got really strange after he left the University of North Carolina, as he decided to change his name in an apparent attempt to live in anonymity.

Leslie McDonald was ranked 48th in the class, and came to campus with the reputation of a knock-down shooter. That never really panned out, considering he shot just 36.5 percent over four years at North Carolina. He hit just 33.3 percent of his three-point attempts at UNC, and 40.7 percent of his two-point shots. His senior season was his most productive, averaging 10.4 points, two rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. It’s also the season that he was suspended thanks to NCAA compliance issues. But we’ll talk more about that later.

Finally, the Wear twins, David and Travis, were a pair of 6-foot-9, 210-pound brothers from Santa Ana, California ranked in the top-50. While the twins had great size and a lot of upside, their potential never really came to fruition in a UNC uniform. Both players transferred to UCLA after just one season at North Carolina, and neither made much of an impact as freshmen.

These five players were the centerpiece of a North Carolina squad that went 20-17, and missed the NCAA Tournament. Now, that wasn’t completely their fault — there was a mass exodus of talent the prior season after winning the 2009 national title — but they certainly didn’t live up to the lofty expectations that college scouts and UNC fans initially had for them.