Florida big man headed to North Carolina
BOCA RATON, Fla. - There had been rumblings that Joel James was headed to North Carolina to play for Roy Williams. But, the big man had yet to confirm.
Sunday afternoon at the Adidas Superstar Showcase in Boca Raton, Fla., the 6-foot-10 center from West Palm Beach (Fla.) Dwyer confirmed that he's a Tar Heel.
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"It was at one point Florida State and North Carolina," James told Rivals.com. "Right now it is North Carolina.
"I called Coach Williams a couple of days ago. I was in match class and I had a math test, it just came to me. So I called."
According to four-star James, the decision had just as much to do with off-the-court things as it did the Heels' on-the-floor play.
"I basically did it off of a life choice," said James. "Just the atmosphere and if you graduate from North Carolina you can do big things. Obviously it is the Mecca of college basketball so that is a major attraction."
A power player who has shed at least 15 pounds since the summer, the big southpaw who ranks No. 61 in the 2012 Rivals150 acknowledged that he's a different type of player than the usual big man who commits to UNC.
While he can run the court and has been working hard to improve in that area, James welcomes with open arms that he's a big man who belongs in the paint with his back to the basket.
"I don't know, a lot of big people want to be guards," said James. "I just like hitting people, it is fun. If you can hit people and dunk on people that is better than shooting a three any day."