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Iowa is probably a better basketball state than most give it credit for, but only once in a generation does it produce a talent like Harrison Barnes. A native of Ames, Barnes was a McDonald’s All-American and the top-rated prospect on most recruiting services. He was right in Iowa State’s backyard, so it made sense for Iowa State to be a finalist for what would undoubtedly be the biggest recruit in school history.
Leading up to his decision, many believed that the talented shooting guard/small forward would end up with his hometown team, possibly joining his teammate Doug McDermott. However, the hometown kid broke the hearts of the community and chose to Skype in Roy Williams before eventually selecting North Carolina.
Given that Iowa State coach Greg McDermott was fired at the end of the season, it’s certainly possible that Harrison would have decommitted and ended up in Chapel Hill anyway. However, not getting Harrison ended up being one of the biggest disappointments in a coaching era filled with disappointment.
Had Harrison and Doug committed and stayed in college all four years, their senior years would have lined up with the 2013-2014 season. Obviously there are a ton of moving parts to this, and many of them might not have happened had those two become Cyclones, but let’s play pretend for a second and imagine a couple lineups from the 2011-2014 seasons that could have been.
2011-2012
Scott Christopherson
Doug McDermott
Harrison Barnes
Royce White
Melvin Ejim
2012-2013
Korie Luscious
Doug McDermott
Harrison Barnes
Melvin Ejim
Georges Niang
2013-2014
DeAndre Kane
Doug McDermott
Harrison Barnes
Melvin Ejim
Georges Niang
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