Harrison Barnes has made it official that he will be returning to North Carolina for his sophomore season. As reported last week on CapitalSportsNC.com, Barnes has enrolled in summer school

“As an 18-year old, I’m in the early stages of my life journey,” Barnes said in a statement from UNC. “I’m honored and blessed for the chance to play in the NBA. And because of my family, teachers, passion, and work, I have the ultimate dream of one day playing and experiencing a fulfilling career in the NBA.

“Opportunities, both beneficial and life changing, can seem to make the next phase of my journey an easy decision. But I am a student-athlete at the University of North Carolina. I’m here to experience college life, grow as a person, receive a quality education, and be part of the greatest basketball family in college sports.

“The experiences I’ve enjoyed on and off the court will be invaluable. These experiences will help fuel my journey in the NBA and beyond.

“I look forward to meeting the challenging journey in the NBA, but my decision on November 13, 2009, still holds true. I’m focused on being a student-athlete. And my decision is to continue this part of my journey at the University of North Carolina.

“As a team, we’re preparing for a special season. My off-season 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.”

UNC coach Roy Williams said it was a difficult decision for Barnes. “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. If he had decided to leave for the NBA, that would have been okay, too, because he will always be a Tar Heel. But it will certainly be a lot of fun to coach him again,” he said.

The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced today that Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Commissioner John Swofford, former director of athletics at the University of North Carolina, has been selected by the NACDA Officers and Executive Committee to be the recipient of the 45th James J. Corbett Memorial Award.

The Corbett Award is presented annually to the collegiate administrator who “through the years has most typified Corbett’s devotion to intercollegiate athletics and worked unceasingly for its betterment.” Corbett, athletics director at Louisiana State University, was NACDA’s first president in 1965. The award is the highest honor one can achieve in collegiate athletics administration.

Additionally, Swofford will receive an honorary degree from the Sports Management Institute (SMI), an educational institute sponsored by NACDA and the universities of Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Southern California and Texas.

“Receiving the Corbett Award is truly one of the highlights of my career because NACDA has meant a great deal to me since I attended my first Convention in 1976, and when I look at the previous recipients, it is humbling to join them,” said Swofford. “None of us have success without the help and support of others, and I have been fortunate to have that support from family and colleagues throughout my career. I am sure there are many that have received this award that were more deserving. I can assure you that there have been none that were more appreciative.”

Swofford, in his 14th year as commissioner of the ACC, served as president of NACDA in 1993-94, while director of athletics at North Carolina. He assumed his role as the fourth full-time commissioner in July 1997. In July 2010, Swofford’s leadership helped the conference secure a new 12-year multi-media rights agreement with ESPN, which will more than double television revenue to the 12 member institutions.

In 2003, on behalf of the nine league institutions and the ACC Council of Presidents, Swofford introduced Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College as the newest members of the conference. With the expansion, Swofford helped bring the conference extended and enhanced television contracts in both football and basketball.

During his career, Swofford has been an advocate of academics and student-athlete welfare, and helped the league form the ACC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

When he was hired at North Carolina in May 1980 at the age of 31, Swofford was the youngest major college athletics director in the nation at the time. He initiated North Carolina’s trademark licensing program and saw tremendous growth in athletics facilities on campus. His accomplishments were recognized by the university with the establishment of the John D. Swofford women’s athletics scholarship and the naming of an auditorium in the university’s football complex in his honor.

– News Release –

University of North Carolina senior tailback Ryan Houston fractured his scapula (shoulder blade) during the Tar Heels’ football scrimmage on Saturday, April 9. He will undergo surgery Thursday afternoon at UNC Hospitals. Houston’s status will be updated at that time.

Houston, a fifth-year senior, has been expected to be a vital cog in the Heels’ running game. A large and bruising runner, he ran for a career-best 713 yards and nine touchdowns on 191 carries in 2009 and sat out 2010 amid the controversy surrounding the football program.

Multiple reports and speculations have UNC freshman Harrison Barnes returning to Carolina for his sophomore season. One report is that Barnes will make the announcement by Thursday.

On Monday, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt tweeted that he’s hearing Barnes will remain a member of Heels rather than than declaring for the 2011 NBA Draft, where he figured to be picked in the top five, perhaps as high as second or third.

Also on Monday, David Scercy of isportsweb.com says he has multiple sources indicating that Barnes will return. He writes, “Forwards Tyler Zeller and John Henson have already announced their return for the 2011-12 season. Now freshman forward Harrison Barnes will announce his return as well. Barnes is reportedly enrolling into summer classes at the University.”

Earlier, Barnes’ mother Shirley indicated to The Daily Tar Heel, the UNC student newspaper, that her son still had some goals in college that he wanted to fulfill, especially after being so disappointed that the Heels didn’t make the Final Four.

In fact, NBAdraft.net removed Barnes from their projected 2011 draft, where he was ranked second.

“I’m starting to hear more people that think he might actually go back (to UNC),” NBAdraft.net analyst Aaron Smith said. Right now it looks like a real possibility that he’ll be back, he added.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – North Carolina used a seven-run third inning en route to a 7-6 win over Florida State in Tallahassee Sunday afternoon breaking the Seminoles’ streak of 25 consecutive Sunday victories. Greg Holt earned the win tossing 4.2 innings of relief, while Michael Morin notched his second save in as many days.

Carolina’s one through five hitters combined for 10 hits, five runs and six RBI as the Tar Heels claimed the series 2-1. The series victory was the first for the Tar Heels in Tallahassee in their last eight trips dating back to a 1995 series win over the Seminoles.

The Tar Heels fell behind for the 11th straight game but battled back once again and own a 9-2 record in those games.

The Seminoles struck for a run in the very first inning when starter Chris Munnelly walked the bases loaded before Greg Holt came on. James Ramsey hit a ball in the hole at short that he was able to leg out for a single to make it 1-0 before Holt would bear down.

Back-to-back strike outs swinging and a ground ball to Levi Michael at shortstop would close out what looked to be a game-breaking inning. The Seminoles would get to Holt in the second as they rattled off three singles for another run taking a 2-0 lead to the top of the third.

The Tar Heel bats awoke in the top of the third taking advantage of a lead off walk to Tom Zengel. Seth Baldwin doubled down the right field line to put a pair in scoring position before four straight batters tallied RBI singles.

Ben Bunting made it 2-1 with his before Levi Michael, Tommy Coyle and Jacob Stallings made it 4-2. The ACC’s RBI leader Colin Moran then added to his total when he laced a pitch into right field to plate Coyle and Stallings making the score 6-2 in favor of the Tar Heels.

Zengel spot in the order would come back around as he hit a sharp ground ball to first allowing Moran to score from third and cap off an impressive seven-run inning for the Tar Heels.

Following the productive third inning the Tar Heel bats would be silented not advancing a runner past second base until the top of the ninth inning.

A two-out walk followed by a RBI double would spell the end of the day for Holt as Cody Stiles came on. Stiles hit the only batter he would face as Cody Penny came on in relief. A single would make the score 7-4 before a fly out ended the two-run fifth inning.

R.C. Orlan came on in the sixth after Penny suffered a lead off single. Orlan struck out the first batter he faced before Mike McGee took a pitch opposite field for a two-run home run cutting the lead to 7-6.

Orlan was able to get the next two guys in the sixth but a lead off walk in the seventh would end his day.

Coming off a save the night before Michael Morin looked just as impressive Sunday afternoon as he struck out the first two batters he faced before getting a fly out to left field to end the threat.

The Seminoles struck for a pair of singles in the bottom of the eighth and looked to be mounting a come back but Morin struck out Jayce Boyd to end the inning and keep Carolina in front heading to the ninth.

Levi Michael was hit by a pitch with one out in the ninth and moved to third on a single by Jacob Stallings but a fly out would end Carolina’s chances of adding an insurance run.

Morin came out for his third inning of work in the bottom of the ninth and forced Sherman Johnson into a ground out for out number one. Another strike out, Morin’s fifth of the day put two outs the board before the sophomore right-hander got Justin Gonzalez to hit a one-hopper to Michael at short to cap off the series-clinching win.

Carolina moves to 29-5 on the year and 12-3 in conference play and have now won four straight conference series for the first time since 2008.

– NEWS RELEASE –