UNC recruit Barnes makes a bold statement

DURHAM -- Harrison Barnes' shirt said it all.

The North Carolina super freshman entered N.C. Central's McLendon-McDougald Gym with a black Nike shirt reading, "I'm that dude."

Swarmed by kids and adults alike filling the entrance to the floor, Barnes and teammates John Henson and Reggie Bullock walked through the doors and immediately shook hands with eager fans. And when they were no longer greeting, they grasped Sharpies and signed autographs.

Of course, celebrity treatment is nothing new for UNC basketball players in the area. But at the S.J.G. Greater NC Pro Am, the adoration is only heightened.

"I think it's a blessing," Henson said. "I'll sign as many autographs as I can for everyone. I think this is a great thing for fans and those committed to come out and watch.

"You just go out there and have fun with your teammates. I see it as community service, as entertainment. To let people come out for a couple hours and watch you for free is always good."

For the fans that filled the gym to near capacity, they witnessed a clinic by the UNC trio in their game against Team 212. Henson, Barnes and Bullock scored the first 51 points for Team Stackhouse, and the squad did not get a point on the board from another player until Ravenscroft's Madison Jones scored on an easy layup with 4:14 remaining in the third.

The game stretched into overtime as both teams were knotted at 68 at the end of regulation. A five-point overtime period for Barnes, including an NBA-range 3-pointer, lifted Team Stackhouse to a 76-72 victory against a squad that included N.C. State's Jordan Vandenberg and Scott Wood.

Barnes finished with a game-high 32 points and seven rebounds. The freshman added a few highlight-reel dunks, including a customized one-handed tomahawk that began with the ball in both hands behind his head. Bullock had 20 points, and Henson finished with 19 points and several big blocks in a game where all three played the full 40 minutes and two minutes of overtime.

"They're the stars, so we try to let the stars shine," said Gerald Richardson, who filled in for the absent Jerry Stackhouse as coach. "My thing was, we were kind of weak on the bench and we were weak at each of their spots, so I had no other choice but to keep them in."

Justin Watts, a rising junior at North Carolina who is on Team Stackhouse but sat out with a minor foot injury, has played in the last two Greater NC Pro Ams and said it was a great experience.

"It's been great the last two years I've played," Watts said. "They just show us a lot of love when we come over here, and we try to put on a good show."

Henson said the Pro Am isn't meant to better players, but rather to have fun while putting on a show for those in attendance. Henson could only flash his signature boyish smile after making a no-look scoop shot off the backboard with 2:30 left in the first quarter.

Of course, that smile was nowhere to be found when Team 212's C.J. Wilkerson, an N.C. Central player, threw down over the 6-foot-10 Henson at the close of the first half.

Team Stackhouse will take the floor again Tuesday when it faces Team McGladrey in a pseudo-showdown between the Tar Heels and Wolfpack. Team McGladrey has N.C. State's Tracy Smith, Ryan Harrow, Lorenzo Brown and C.J. Leslie on its roster.