James McAdoo, Norfolk Christian
Photo by Steven Maikoski/USA Basketball
Norfolk Christian (Norfolk, Va.) forward James McAdoo, MaxPreps.com’s No. 2-ranked player in the class of 2011, ended his recruitment Saturday night by committing to the University of North Carolina, according to his high school coach Michael Allen.
“James called me yesterday (Sunday) afternoon and said he officially committed Saturday evening,” Allen said. “He is very excited. To fulfill a lifelong dream to go to University of North Carolina, we are just very proud of him and excited for him.
“I think it is a big weight lifted off his shoulders. Anybody and everybody recruited him and I think he is thankful to have the process over with.”
McAdoo, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound post, solidified himself as one of the nation’s top sophomores last winter by averaging 25.2 points and 11 rebounds per game, leading Norfolk Christian (Norfolk, Va.) to a 22-7 VISBA Division II state semifinals.
McAdoo averaged 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds for the United States Under-16 team that captured a gold medal in Argentina this summer.
It was at that event where he suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder that will keep him out of game action until possibly as late as mid-December, according to Allen.
With as many as 40 schools actively recruiting McAdoo, he narrowed his choices down to Duke, North Carolina and Virginia coming out of the summer.
“He had been down to Carolina a few times and they have always been the frontrunner,” Allen said. “He has a fond appreciation for the tradition there, starting with Coach (Dean) Smith and passed on to Coach (Roy) Williams.”
Allen was impressed with the way McAdoo dealt with the attention and chaos that accompanied being one of the nation’s top recruits.
“He handled the recruiting process in a mature manner,” Allen said. “He narrowed it down to nine before the summer. At times, there were as many as 40 schools texting, stopping and visiting when they were allowed to do so. It was a whirlwind there for a while.”
McAdoo and Norfolk Christian will play in two major holiday tournaments in December – the Chic-fil-A Classic in Columbia, S.C., and the McDonald’s Classic in Tampa, Fla. The Ambassadors also will be featured in showcase events in Norfolk and Greensboro.
McAdoo's pledge gives the Tar Heels a pair of top 20 talents in the class of 2011. P.J. Hairston, a 6-6, 205-pound wing from Dudley High School in Greensboro, N.C., committed to the program in August.
