NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Ranking the last 10 No. 1 overall prospects

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ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 11: Harrison Barnes #40 of the North Carolina Tar Heels gestures on court against the Florida State Seminoles during the Final Game of the 2012 ACC Men’s Basketball Conference Tournament at Philips Arena on March 11, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

5. Harrison Barnes – 2010

With two national titles already under his belt, Roy Williams landed the best prospect of 2010 in Barnes. Surprisingly, Barnes stayed with the Tar Heels for two seasons, helping lead North Carolina to a pair of Elite Eight runs. He was the best rookie in the ACC in 2011 and he put up solid numbers in his two seasons with Carolina. However, he couldn’t win a title or help lead this team to the Final Four.

In his two collegiate seasons, Barnes averaged 16.3 ppg and 5.5 rpg. The young forward certainly had an impact, but he played along forwards Tyler Zeller and John Henson. Outside of UNC, it’s easy to compare him to Kyrie Irving a few miles away and wonder who got the better player. Names like Jared Sullinger and Brandon Knight also did great work for their programs, even if only Sullinger stayed for multiple seasons.

North Carolina has always been a contender, but it’s not like Barnes was a piece that put them over the top or made them a title team. Though he was an all-ACC player, he wasn’t an All-American and did fall short twice in his quest for a Final Four. It’s absolutely true that the future lottery pick would have a great impact on the beginning of the Warriors dynasty, but that’s not our focus. He was a great basketball player at North Carolina, but he certainly won’t be remembered as the best college basketball player that his ranking foresaw.

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