Future Tar Heels play well.
Via NBADraft.net:
John Henson — 10 pts, 5-9 fg, 9 reb, 2 blk, 17 min — Henson was the leading rebounder for the USA squad with 9, despite playing just 22 minutes. He definitely should have been in the game in the final 3 minutes instead of Sidney who was absolutely useless.
Henson has a long ways to go but shows a great deal of upside. But at his current weight, he has no NBA position.
He’s incredibly long and athletic and shows an excellent skill set with the ability to score around the basket as well as knock down midrange jumpers. But he still must develop a much nastier on court demeanor. He needs around 30-35 pounds and a mean streak. He shows some ability to create for himself, but nothing that would indicate that he can play on the perimeter at the NBA level.
Regardless, with such immense potential, he appears to be a likely future lotto pick. However, he more than anyone would benefit from 2-3 years in college to allow his body to develop and to improve his skill level.
He’s a better shooting version of Brandon Wright, but even skinnier, and without quite the length.
–
Leslie McDonald — 8 pts, 4-10 fg, 2 reb, 19 min — Looked extremely impressive in the practice hanging out with his UNC buddy Henson. His athleticism is above average and he’s got a very strong body which should allow him to overcome his lack of optimum size at 6-4.
McDonald shows the ability to get to rim and finish as he has a quick first step and good touch and body control around the basket.
Although Dexter Strickland is a more highly rated recruit, McDonald appears to have more long term potential. No question, McDonald is small for the 2g position at the NBA level but has a great body and explosiveness. He should be an excellent 3-4 year player at North Carolina.
I was surprised to see John Henson being mentioned as a potential 2-3 three year player when the assumption is he will be one and done. Then again, the five slices of pepperoni I had for lunch had more fat in them than Henson has on his whole body. I think the lesson of Brandan Wright might start to have an impact and I am willing to bet it factored into Ed Davis’ decision. With Henson it is much the same issue. Why build your body in the NBA when you can do it in college?
The other surprise is that McDonald is starting to get more attention than Dexter Strickland. McDonald was not named to the McDonald’s All American game whereas Strickland was. It will be interesting to see if McDonald ends up being a more productive all around player than Strickland.
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The thing everyone forgets about when analyzing whether freshman or sophomores should go to the NBA is the family-income situation. Marvin did not want to go to the NBA, but had younger siblings and a mom working for minimum wage. I don’t know as much about Brandan Wright, but I think it was similar.
Ed Davis’ dad was a former NBA player and his family is probably doing decently. Ty Lawson’s parents both have good careers.
Henson’s dad is also a professional. Thus, he is not desparate to go to the NBA.
As for McDonald, he did make is on the USA select team, so he is doing something right. I think it comes down to him and Graves for the starting SG spot next year.
I think it’s down to McDonald and Graves for the SG spot too. Graves has a real opportunity and I hope he takes advantage of it…hopefully he won’t repeat the mistakes he made this year that resulted in his suspension.
“I think it comes down to him and Graves for the starting SG spot next year.”
Depends on which position you play Ginyard at. I could definitely see a lineup of: Drew, Ginyard, Henson/Zeller, Deon, and Davis.
A lot of the scouting reports and rankings are in constant flux depending on how certain prep players are improving, growing, and maturing. It’s also good to watch the ones that tend to be on all the select teams lately and not rely on static profiles that may be quite old. I see Leslie moving up the ladder recently, and the more I read about him and watch him, the more I like him. I think we’re going to be very happy to have him.
It will be very interesting to watch John Henson’s strength and weight development. One of the things that will hepl offset that next year will be his quickness to, and nose for, the ball. He seems to be very involved in the flow of the game and I was kind of surprised he was the leading rebounder for the USA team at the Nike Summit. That’s a very good sign.
Yeah, CM, I expect that will be our starting lineup next fall.
Will Graves is the great unknown, so much that most of us tend to forget him in the mix fo things for next year. I saw the footage and I too am impressed with Leslie McDonald. He seems to be a great kid who should contend for an all-ACC spot come senior year (unless he has an Ellington-like run in the NCAAT and earns a 1st round draft slot
. Damn, I can’t believe I was able to type that-such a good feeling…”Ellington-like run”). Henson has SO much upside it is insane, but his lack of weight is concerning. Ed Davis seemed lanky to me last year when I watched his footage, and Henson is like 1/2 of him. Look at what Jonas was able to do with him.
All in all, McDonald will provide great depth at both the 2 and 3 positions. Jonas will make Henson (physically) imposing enough, but it’s gonna take some time…and I can certainly entertain the thought of John Henson being around for a couple of years (if not more).
Between Tyler Hansbrough, Joe Forte and Brandan Wright, UNC is doing its part to provide examples, both positive and negative, to stop kids from going pro early….
“Depends on which position you play Ginyard at. I could definitely see a lineup of: Drew, Ginyard, Henson/Zeller, Deon, and Davis.”
If I were Drew and Ginyard, I would be shooting 2010 jumpers a day this summer. That is some serious re-loading, with the exception of outside shooting, but Ginyard was pretty good last year–without even getting into the Wears and Strickland and whoever else. If this Walls guy is a Lawson type talent, it wouldn’t be a bad place to camp out for a year and win a title like Carmelo, even though I really don’t prefer that mentality of one and done.
William. We have set the template on which decision is best to make. No doubt about it.
I do not see Henson’s weight as being a big problem. Kevin Durant was of the skinny nature as well. And while he wasn’t banging on the boards, he was doing a lot of other things, and that may wind up being the MO for Henson. We already have Thompson and Davis that hit the boards, and don’t forget, Ginyard is pretty good in his own right at that task as well.
Lineup- Drew, Strickland, Henson, Davis, Thompson.
Graves & Zeller will make a case, but I think in the long run it will be this group of guys carrying us in the ACC. With that being said, it really is of no consequence who starts or who doesn’t. The way in which we play demands nearly equal minutes from all parties. I kind of like it that way as we get the whole “winded” factor going for other teams. The only thing to look out for is chemistry. I thought we lacked it early in the season, but once we got a consistent group playing, it all seemed to gel.
I am really glad to see that McDonald is making some progress. A 6’4 combo guard is nice to have coming off of your bench. He may wind up being someone that sticks with us for more than 2 years.
“If this Walls guy is a Lawson type talent…”
I love Ty, but Wall is in a different stratosphere when it comes to talent. Most people feel he is the number 1 pick in the 2010 draft. He is considered a bigger, more athletic version of Derrick Rose and compares favorably to Dwayne Wade. There really isn’t anyway one could overstate how talented he is.
Article on Carolina, Drew 2 and re-loading:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/sports/ncaabasketball/08unc.html
Like you William, I have a special place in my heart for those that bleed 4 years for our program. Still, at a much needed position such as PG, I will take his production on our team if for only one year, you would be just, William, in wanting to have that.
“Lineup- Drew, Strickland, Henson, Davis, Thompson.”
If healthy, there is no chance Ginyard doesn’t start. He would have started over Green this year had he been healthy,
I am not going to slam the door in his face, lol. I still have a real affection for Wright. He seemed like a real decent kid and a hell of a talent and I have no idea what has gone wrong for him upstairs.
Nice find William. I do not want to shape my opinion of next year’s team based on what we have seen this season, nor what we might see in pre-season. We will likely drop several games in the ACC, and may not finish at the top of it. But we have the talent to win a lot of games, and I am becoming more optimistic about how deep we can go in next season’s ncaa tournament. Just try to view the ACC as a learning experience going into the tournament. We are going to lose some games, which would be expected with such a young group, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we learn along the way, and return to the final 4.
It is also hard to not let the media get us overly confident, as they are singing our praises for next year. I will try to not let that shape my opinion as well, but if they want to put us on the apex of college basketball, I will let them. If nothing else, it could serve as an intimidation factor for opposing teams come November.
C. Michael, I was rushing my post and in no way did I mean to put Strickland ahead of Ginyard. You are right, I expect him to come out of the gate as a starter, barring no lingering issues with health. His production while healthy has earned him that spot, and with such a youthful team, he will be sorely needed to play as much as possible.
Gotcha.
William, you are usually pretty objective, in an information-based way. I’m curious why you think Brandan made a mistake. True, he’s playing for a pretty weak team, but aside from missing a lot of games because of a left shoulder separation and having continuing problems with it, his minutes have doubled this year and he is showing continued improvement. He had a 25 point game this year and several double digit rebound games when getting the minutes, and has started a good bit of the season. He probably could have improved his overall game by staying another year, but he has improved his game from his first to second year in the NBA. I would have trouble using him as an example of an early-entry mistake.
Random question, but who would you rather have? Ty Lawson or John Wall? I choose Ty, anybody else?
Hopefully we can have a discussion sometime around the corner about the Wear twins. I am not too worried about how they will stack up with the Plumlee’s. I thought, in spite of moderate statistics in the McDonald’s game, they played smart basketball on the court.
This smart basketball is going to pay dividens in our ncaa run next season. While we will have an abundance of youth, its not like our players have low b-ball IQ. The more I contemplate next season, the more optimistic I am becoming. Must be the homer in me.
UNCGirl, while C. Michael alluded to his great upside, Lawson helped secure a national title for us. That carries a lot of weight. With that being said, life is usually more about “what can you do for me” not “what have you done for me lately”. If that weren’t so, Janet Jackson would have never had a number one hit with that song.
I think a majority of folks would love to have John Wall on their team. Why should any of us feel differently. We are heading in a new era of UNC basketball, and he could be a flagship point guard. Wether or not we get him remains to be seen, but if Lawson & Wall were coming out of high school together, I think Wall gets the higher ratings. That is no knock at all to Lawson. The man did get the job done!
Ah the Wears…gorgeous basketball-playing twins in UNC uniforms… *drool* Anyway, I saw one of their high school games on ESPN. Both looked really impressive. Great to go along with Big Z. Watch out Plumee’s!
“Random question, but who would you rather have? Ty Lawson or John Wall? I choose Ty, anybody else?”
For next year, I might be tempted to say Lawson, b/c he is a better shooter and more seasoned in Roy’s system, but long term (i.e. in the NBA), it’s Wall, and it’s not even remotely close.
Well UNCGirl, who’s gonna be next season’s Hansbrough for you? I have to say I think Travis Wear fits the bill for you.
Please, no drooling!
When you say they look “impressive”, I assume you’re talking about basketball virtues, right?
JB, I agree that Wall is a teensy bit more talented and more highly touted than Ty, but when it comes to attitude on and off the court, Ty takes the prize. Attitude is really the deciding factor for me. I want someone who both works hard and has good character. I don’t know much about Wall, but from what I’ve heard, I’d rather have Ty.
Yes, basketball.
I’ll try not to drool. I’ll sneeze for right now. I have a cold/cough. 
No one will ever replace Tyler, but they will be enough to temporarily fill the void. If I had to choose I would go with Travis.
I will say this in Wall’s favor–usually when a highly touted player is self-centered, he is also very offense oriented. This kid seems to take as much pride in his defense which to me is a good sign–one of the very few in this instance.
As to slender build being an issue–”Sam Perkins/Rip Hamilton”!
Yes BigGame. Brian Reese was skinny as heck too. The idea that you have to look like Heystack Calhoun is partially flawed. We have had many skinny to less than buff guys do a lot of damage on our team. In addition, his skills won’t be confined to banging on the boards as well. I certainly have no problem if he wants to bulk up and look like Karl Malone, but given what his job description is going to be for us, I don’t think it is something he necessarily needs to do.
Ed Davis & Sam Perkins could have stood to put on some pounds, and who knows, maybe that will make them even a better player. You all remember Sam Perkins hitting those peremiter shots, and hitting the glass as well with his physique. I think Henson will be able to do the same.
Manute Bol was skinny too! Actually, there should be another word for someone as thin as he was. I believe he was 7’6 and weighed 205 lbs.
Earlier someone mentioned the financial status of Wright’s family. Here is what I know, he’s dad is one of the big boys at RBC Centura when he was at Carolina and I don’t know about his mom but if his dad has that much money coming in, why go pro? Tyler’s dad is loaded and he didn’t go pro. Brendan would have been better if he had stayed one or two more years, but instead he is sitting at the end of the bench daydreaming about if he had of come back for another year where would he be today. I think he was caught up in the NBA glitter instead of bettering himself.
“Ah the Wears…gorgeous basketball-playing twins in UNC uniforms… *drool*”
I had hoped that Hansbrough’s graduation would end the “boy talk” on the blog, but it doesn’t look like that will happen.
As for Henson, after watching him in the McD and USA games, he looks like his always playing in the post. Of course, we have to get this guy on the court, but to do that he will have to play the 3 position. Will be interesting to see how this shakes out.
It was wb3 from earlier today.
“instead he is sitting at the end of the bench daydreaming about if he had of come back for another year where would he be today”
He’s actually started more than half his games this year, but has dealt with injuries.
Sorry wb3. I’ll try to tone it down.
It’s been a while, but I remember being a teenager and having hormones control my actions to a greater degree.
Me too WB3 !!!
C. Michael, I don’t think that Don Nelson is the best fit for Brandan. I do know there have been times he has stated he was impressed with his play, but it appears as if Anthony Randolph is taking his spot in Don Nelson’s thinking. The times I have seen Brandan play, he looked pretty sound. Just a little more grooming, and I think that is what 6fordaheels was articulating.
I am hoping for B. Wright. It seems like he has been in the NBA longer than two years somehow, but maybe it is the length of their season. Last year, he seemed to fall off the edge of the earth which made little sense to me since from what I have heard, he is the all time champion in the recruit skills tests that they do.
Thank you, wb3.
William, you are funny even when you aren’t trying to me. I see the hidden innuendo.
well if the resident archivist cares to dig back, I believe I’m on record as one of the few who felt Wright’s leaving after one year could be a mistake for him.
ie–Wright…was wrong!
Don’t forget that ESPN 2 has game on Saturday night!
Here’s an interesting comment on Greg Paulus.
http://aboverim.blogspot.com/2009/04/paulus-works-out-for-packers.html
Really, what time? I taped the one on Classic but that was not in HD.
You mean Claire and I can’t drool? Or talk boys? Even though our future husbands are graduating? Oh , how will we live?
Facebook
You girls continue to be girls. OK, maybe a little less frequently because some of us can’t go back 20 years & be drooled over!
ESPN 2 HD 5pm Phoenix time Sat 4/18. This is
2009 Jordan Brand Classic presented by Foot Locker – Black vs. White
http://sports.espn.go.com/espntv/espnGuide
I’ll try to tone it down. I should be able to do it, Danny will be in the NBA, le sigh.
Wait, this isn’t the Tiger Beat online basketball forum?
TexasFan11, I am just pulling your leg.
Okay, that must be 2 PM normal time. I made a DVD of the finals but the ultimate time was unwieldy. They usually have things compressed to a nice 2 hours for the re-plays which can fit and look decent in near HD quality.
Here is Anthony Randolph’s stats from last night. This is probably why Don Nelson favors him over Brandan Wright.
F 44:41 10-18 0-0 4-5 -25 2 14 16 4 2 4 2 1 0 24
He played 44 minutes, went 10-18 from the field for a total of 24 points, and had 16 rebounds.
Pretty impressive, and we really can’t expect Wright to compete with that.
William:
Out here in the wild west, we don’t cotton to day light saving. There’s plenty of it here. So when everyone else is worrying about what time it is, we are set!
Alex, I think that Leslie McDonald kind of looks like Danny. Just a little.
Look at the bright side! We will have a whole new batch of guys to drool, oh wait no drooling, sorry, /sigh/ over until Danny and Tyler realize they can’t live without us.
Maybe Danny being in the NBA will get you into NBA basketball. Just maybe.
Living, as I do, with the mediocre soap opera that is the Golden State Warriors, I have come to the conclusion that Don Nelson doesn’t really like big men. Early in the season, he did his best to alienate both Wright and Randolph, so much so that Randolph was considered damaged goods and was just biding his time for a trade. Nelson’s offense doesn’t really reward the type of hustle-, defense- and team-oriented play that Brandan was accustomed to at Carolina, so I think it is unfair to place too much of the blame for lack of production on Brandan. Remember that Antawn put up 50 points in two nights, but the Warriors still traded him.
I look for Brandan to do his time (it must feel like a prison sentence) on the bench at Oracle and then move on to blossom as an upcoming talent on another team. The Warriors, meanwhile, will draft Henderthug and overpay him, because they really need another in-betweener who is too small to play the PF but doesn’t have a consistent NBA 3-pt shot. They only have about 7 players on the team who already fit that description.