North Carolina Calling On Padgett

North Carolina has officially entered the David Padgett sweepstakes. The Tar Heels requested permission to speak to the 6-foot-11, 220-pound center/power forward from Reno High school in Reno, Nev., and they were granted permission on Wednesday afternoon. It is believed that Padgett will decide between North Carolina, Louisville and UCLA.

While it looks like North Carolina is the team to beat for Padgett, the No. 7 ranked player on the Rivals150 has decided not to comment about the situation at this time. RivalsHoops.com attempted to contact the Padgett’s several times, but the calls have not been returned as of yet.

A 6-11 center from Reno, Nev., Padgett played in 31 games last season with 19 starting assignments. He averaged 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 19.2 minutes per contest. In addition, he shot 53.1 percent from the field and blocked a team-high 43 shots -- the second-most rejections by a KU freshman in school history.

“I've made the decision to transfer from KU at the end of this semester," Padgett said. “I think I'll have more opportunities to be a face-up player and play the four-position at another school. I want to wish my ex-teammates and the great KU fans all the best, and I hope they have a great season next year.”

The decision for Padgett to leave the University of Kansas came as a huge shock to those close to the situation. After working his way into the starting rotation as a freshman, and making at all the way to the elite eight, nobody saw this coming.

“Obviously we're all disappointed with David's decision,” Self said. “Even though we don't agree with it, we're certainly respectful of it. We do wish him well with his future opportunities. We wish David and his family the best, and we certainly appreciate the one year of effort he gave us here at Kansas.”