North Carolina forward Harrison Barnes announced Monday he will return to The University of Carolina for his sophomore season.
The freshman star had been considered a potential top-two pick in the upcoming NBA Draft if he opted to leave the college ranks.
It was rumored that Barnes was leaning towards returning to UNC and the school made it official with a news release Monday morning.
"As a team, we're preparing for a special season," Barnes said. "My offseason plans are to diligently work on honing my basketball skills in all areas with one team-goal in mind — to bring the 2012 national championship home to UNC."
Tar Heels coach Roy Williams expressed his happiness with Barnes' decision to stay in Chapel Hill.
"I am of course excited to have Harrison back on our team next year,' Williams said in a statement on the school's website. "It has been a true pleasure to coach him and I look forward to coaching him again next season.
"He had a difficult decision to make. He really had no wrong decision to choose, but I believe he is coming back to school because he enjoys college basketball, he enjoys the University of North Carolina and he enjoys his teammates."
Barnes, who was named Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year, led the Tar Heels along with junior forward Tyler Zeller with 15.7 points per game in 2010-11.
