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JAMES COMMITS TO TAR HEELS

PrepStars.com staff
readermail@prepstars.com
October 3, 2011

North Carolina won a pledge from FL C Joel James, a massive big man from the Sunshine State who chose UNC over co-finalist Florida State and other high-major programs.

James is a relative newcomer to the game of basketball, and as a result his skills are less refined than what one typically expects from a UNC-signed big man. That said, he has made a great deal of progress and, as he matures and rounds himself into better shape (he was 280 pounds this past summer), he should become a solid rebounder and interior defender.

James also has soft hands and long arms, two attributes that are impossible to teach. Whether he becomes a consistent offensive threat remains to be seen, but certainly he fills an urgent need for Roy Williams’ program and will have the opportunity to earn meaningful playing time as a freshman.