JD Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
North Carolina head coach Roy Williams can breath a sigh of relief. The university announced James Michael McAdoo will return for his junior season and possibly save the near future of Tar Heels basketball.
“I love this school and my teammates, and I love being a North Carolina basketball player,” McAdoo said in a statement issued by the university. “THere will certainly be a time when I want to play in the NBA, but right now I truly enjoy college life and I want to continue doing that for another season.”
Let’s be realistic; McAdoo is too talented to stay longer than his junior season. He will most likely enter the 2015 NBA Draft.
The Tar Heels will now return three starters to the starting lineup which finished 25-11 this season. Sophomore forward P.J. Hairston has also said he will stay next season, while Reggie Bullock declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft Tuesday. McAdoo will be joined in the backcourt by Marcus Paige since senior Dexter Strickland will graduate this spring.
“James Michael’s decision says a lot about the University of North Carolina and his teammates. He truly enjoys the entire collegiate experience. It’s the reason he came to this decision,” said an ecstatic Coach Williams.
McAdoo has slipped in many mock drafts this season despite being considered a future top-five choice when he arrived in North Carolina in 2011. His intentions may be because he “truly loves” college, but it’s obvious McAdoo is looking to improve his draft stock over the next season.
John Engel is a Pac-12 college basketball writer for Rant Sports and also works for ESPNLA 710 AM in Los Angeles. Follow John on Twitter: @engelsportsguy.
