Talented Barnes happy to be back with Heels

Harrison Barnes knew he wasn't ready to play for pay last spring. And with every day the NBA lockout lasts, his decision to remain at North Carolina looks better and better.

The 6-foot-8-inch sophomore small forward gets to improve each day he's on the floor for the No. 1 Tar Heels. On Friday, despite being in early foul trouble and playing just 24 minutes, he scored a season-high 21 points and grabbed five rebounds as North Carolina cruised to an 87-62 win over South Carolina before a crowd of 7,200 in the semifinals of the Las Vegas Invitational at Orleans Arena.

"I'm glad I stayed in school," Barnes said. "I needed to work on my game. I just hope they don't lose the (entire) season."

At some point, the NBA will be back in business. By then, Barnes hopes to have a national championship ring.

"I felt like we came up short of our goals last year," he said of losing to Kentucky in the East Regional final of the NCAA Tournament. "That had a lot to do with my decision (to return)."

After a freshman year that was filled with hesitation and inconsistency, along with sheer brilliance, Barnes is more comfortable this season. He defers to his teammates, and according to coach Roy Williams, Barnes has made significant progress with his overall game.

"He's worked on his ball-handling and getting to the basket more," Williams said. "He's taking better shots, but he's still a work in progress."

Said Barnes, who is averaging 17.8 points and 4.8 rebounds: "I'm trying to be a more efficient player. I've been trying to create space for myself and not try to do too much."

UNLV coach Dave Rice watched Barnes on Friday and has the unenviable task of trying to conceive a plan on short notice to contain him when the Rebels and Tar Heels (5-0) meet for the Las Vegas Invitational title at 7:30 tonight.

"He's an exceptional talent," Rice said. "He lets the game come to him, and he's consistent with everything he does."

Barnes was virtually unstoppable in the second half against South Carolina, making 4 of 5 from the field and finishing 7 of 8 from the free-throw line.

The Gamecocks (2-3), who will play Southern California at 4:30 p.m. today, struggled to match the Tar Heels' athleticism. After trailing 21-4 in the first half, the closest South Carolina got was 51-40 with 16 minutes remaining.

"I never felt insecure about the game," Williams said. "But we made some big mistakes, and if we play against UNLV like we did (Friday), we will not win."

In the earlier games, Cal Poly survived 62-61 when Morgan State's Ameer Ali missed two free throws with 1.4 seconds left. Mississippi Valley State's Cor-J Cox made two free throws with one minute remaining in the second overtime to defeat Tennessee State, 90-89.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.