reload: Both Blue Devils and Tar Heels recruited well

Duke and North Carolina, winners of the past two NCAA Tournament titles, put together basketball recruiting classes that should put them in contention again in future seasons.

Each landed three high-school stars, and North Carolina added a transfer. Players in both programs will be called on early next season as Duke tries to defend its title and North Carolina tries to return to the tournament after missing last season.

"We're going to need something from this freshman group," said Coach Roy Williams of North Carolina. "What did we not do well last year? We didn't shoot the ball very well. So we need them to shoot the ball very well. We turned it over too much. So we need them to be able to come in and not turn it over."

Here's a recap of the recruiting years for Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, Miami, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech.

Duke

Duke lost seniors Jon Scheyer, Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas, who anchored the run to the program's fourth national title, but filled the holes with a recruiting class ranked No. 3 in the ACC by analyst Bob Gibbons of All Star Sports in Lenoir.

Duke added Kyrie Irving, a 6-2 point guard from Elizabeth, N.J.; Josh Hairston, a 6-8 forward from Spotsylvania, Va., and Tyler Thornton, a 6-2 point guard from Washington, D.C.

Irving could take over the position Scheyer manned the past two seasons. Some analysts considered him the best point guard in the country after he averaged 24.5 points and 6.5 assists as a high-school senior.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski said he has no reservations playing a freshman point guard on a highly regarded team.

"Not many years have we not been highly ranked," Krzyzewski said. "I think we have veteran players to help Kyrie make his adjustment. And I have a lot of confidence in Kyrie."

Hairston spent his senior year at Montrose Christian in Maryland, where he transferred to play against better competition. He averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds and made The Washington Post's All-Metro first team. He also was Gatorade's high-school player of the year in Maryland. As a junior, Hairston averaged 23.8 points and 10.6 rebounds in leading Courtland High to Virginia's Group AA Division 4 state title.

Thornton averaged 14.4 points as a senior.

The only hitch for Duke came after Krzyzewski's first reach into the junior-college ranks. Carrick Felix, a 6-6 forward at the College of Southern Idaho, asked to be released from his letter of intent after forward Kyle Singler decided to return for his senior season. Felix then signed with Arizona State, coached by Herb Sendek.

North Carolina

North Carolina was missing several critical ingredients last season and ended up with a losing ACC record, but it made the NIT Tournament and had a runner-up finish. The class of Harrison Barnes, Reggie Bullock, Kendall Marshall and Justin Knox should supply much of what the Tar Heels missed last season.

Barnes, a 6-8 forward from Ames, Iowa, was considered the best high-school player in the country last season by some analysts and was a consensus top-three senior. Gibbons considers him the best all-around player coming into the ACC this year. Barnes averaged 26.1 points, 10 rebounds, 3.1 steals and three assists in leading his high-school team to a second consecutive unbeaten season and 4-A state title.

"I don't need Harrison to be the leader of this team," Williams said.

"He is the high-school version of Tyler (Hansbrough) in some way because he's the most focused high-school player that I've ever recruited. He's the most disciplined high-school player I've ever recruited."

Bullock, a 6-6 guard, is a consistent outside shooter who averaged 27.4 points and 8.3 rebounds last season in leading Kinston High to the NCHSAA 2-A title. He also was North Carolina's AP player of the year.

Marshall, 6-3 and from Arlington, Va., was considered one of the country's top point guards after averaging 15.3 points and 7 assists last season. He is an accomplished passer, but doesn't have blazing speed on the break.

"Harrison's got the biggest reputation by far, but I think that Reggie and Kendall are going to be able to do some things," Williams said."

Knox, a 6-9 forward, became Williams' first major-college recruit at North Carolina after graduating from Alabama in three years. He has one season left and will have to fill a big role on a weakened frontline. He averaged 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds last season.

Virginia

Coach Tony Bennett landed six players in his first full recruiting year at Virginia.

He completed the class in the spring by signing Billy Baron, a 6-1 point guard from East Greenwich, R.I., and the son of Jim Baron, the Rhode Island coach. Billy Baron averaged 27.5 points and 6.2 assists in a post-graduate season at Worcester (Mass.) Academy last season.

Virginia needs some help to rebuild its program and replace Sylven Landesberg, who left school after his sophomore season after being suspended.

Bennett's other recruits are: Akil Mitchell, a 6-7 wing player from Charlotte; K.T. Harrell, a 6-4 guard from Montgomery, Ala.; Joe Harris, a 6-6 guard from Chelan, Wash.; James Johnson, a 6-9 forward from Wildomar, Calif.; and Will Regan, a 6-8 forward from Williamsville, N.Y.

Miami

Miami landed a four-player class that includes a major-college transfer, Trey McKinney-Jones, who spent his first two seasons at Missouri-Kansas City and averaged 10.9 points last season. He will have to sit out next season under NCAA transfer rules but will have two seasons of eligibility left starting in 2011.

Erik Swoope, a 6-5 swingman from North Hollywood, Calif., signed with Miami in April. He averaged 21.8 points and 8.9 rebounds last season and was known for attacking the basket.

Also in the class are Rion Brown, a 6-5 guard from Hinesville, Ga., and Raphael Akpejiori, a 6-9 forward from Lagos, Nigeria.

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech needed only a little help and found it in Jarell Eddie, a 6-7 forward from Concord, and Tyrone Garland, a 6-1 point guard from Philadelphia.

Eddie averaged 24 points and 10 rebounds last season and shot 59 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range. He also made the Charlotte Observer's All-Observer team.

Garland averaged 23.7 points and won the Phoenix Award, given to the top player in the Philadelphia Public School League.

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech lost starters Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal to the NBA Draft and added only one player.

Jason Morris, a 6-5 guard from Hephzibah, Ga., will return to his home state after spending the last four years at The Hotchkiss School in rural Connecticut. He averaged 18.1 points and 5.9 rebounds last season, both second-highest on his team.

Coach Paul Hewitt wanted another player for his front line but couldn't persuade Knox to pick his program over North Carolina.

bcole@wsjournal.com