It’s no secret that the UNC Tar Heels have had a lot of recruiting success over the years, and the last few have brought in quite a few stars. Now UNC has loaded up again for the 2009 class, with Dexter Strickland (PG/SG, 6’3″, 2009), who is expected to share point guard duties with Larry Drew II, Leslie McDonald (SG, 6’4″, 2009), Travis Wear (PF,6’9″,2009), David Wear (PF,6’9″,2009) and John Henson (SF, 6’10”, 2009).
These players have secured the #1 ranking class for 2009, but I think a lot of has to do with the pure potential of John Henson. Dexter Strickland should see significant minutes quickly, and with Hansbrough graduating this year, the Wear twins will have time to share the paint with Tyler Zeller, Ed Davis and Deon Thompson, who will be a senior and likely starter. The quadrangle of Davis, Zeller, Thompson and Henson will be a huge force in the paint for a team that has banked for several years on guards with supersonic speed like Ray Felton and Tywon Lawson, and although Strickland is a fast player, he’s still making the transition to point guard and only time will tell if he’s able to do so.