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Will Shaver Enrolls Early!!!

Fantastic decision by the kid, can get a huge head start by acclimating to classes and working with Jonas. Will be able to practice with the team and acclimate to the size and strength of college players. I realize he just got in to the 4 star rankings but I have a feeling this kid is going to surprise many of our fans.

I see him as a version of Manley but without the injury stuff that Manley had to deal with and a kid that will work hard on his strength and conditioning with the UNC staff. You give me Manley without the injury stuff or the conditioning issues and I become very excited! Have always said, Manley with out the injury issues or the conditioning issues was a NBA level player so what can Shaver become, with Jonas packing 15lbs of muscle on him before he ever gets eligible? Him working with Bacot in practice, working with Sean to learn how to handle good college level big men, win win win situation!
 
From a pure basketball, or football, perspective I guess it works to enroll early. But down the road in life I wonder how many of these kids that leave the spring of their senior year in high school on the table, or burn a year or two at an IMG, regret it? You are only young once. And they throw a lot of memories and time with family and friends down the drain as they are in such a hurry to make it to the NBA or the NFL. Which most won't ever make anyway. Everybody is in such a hurry to get to tomorrow, that nobody enjoys today.
 
If they stayed home what would they probably be doing? these gym rats would be playing basketball every day against lesser talents, with less improvement, and picking up more bad habits the UNC coaches will have to break. and re: this advice to stay at home and party while you're still young? i guarantee you the partying they'd do at home is less fun than chapel hill with their new friends and teammates.
 
From a pure basketball, or football, perspective I guess it works to enroll early. But down the road in life I wonder how many of these kids that leave the spring of their senior year in high school on the table, or burn a year or two at an IMG, regret it? You are only young once. And they throw a lot of memories and time with family and friends down the drain as they are in such a hurry to make it to the NBA or the NFL. Which most won't ever make anyway. Everybody is in such a hurry to get to tomorrow, that nobody enjoys today.
I usually agree, however Shaver was already looking at prep schools for this coming year.
I guess he’d finished his high school time and was already looking for options to move on.
 
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I usually agree, however Shaver was already looking at prep schools for this coming year.
I guess he’d finished his high school time and was already looking for options to move on.
As I said previously. I just wonder down the line just how many of these kids look back and wishes they hadn't tried to rush things along and waste what many feel are some of the best of your life? Something to be said for enjoying the journey. All of these kids think they are locks for the pros. In reality, most are disappointed.
 
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From a pure basketball, or football, perspective I guess it works to enroll early. But down the road in life I wonder how many of these kids that leave the spring of their senior year in high school on the table, or burn a year or two at an IMG, regret it? You are only young once. And they throw a lot of memories and time with family and friends down the drain as they are in such a hurry to make it to the NBA or the NFL. Which most won't ever make anyway. Everybody is in such a hurry to get to tomorrow, that nobody enjoys today.
I do not like it but the reality is many of these kids pretty much play year round, tons of travel, if they are not traveling they are playing so little time remains for those social interactions that represent what most high school level students look back fondly in their future.

Truth is, when most look back and yearn for those ole days gone by they tend to think more in terms of their college experience (those that had that experience) more and more fondly than high school. Look at our former players and how many of them met their future spouse while at UNC and of course the wedding well attended by UNC alums? For a kid to step foot on the campus and be known as a UNC scholarship basketball player, compare that in your mind to being star of your high school that is hard to find because he is always out of town? Really, to me that isn't close.

I personally love what this kid is doing because he is not trying to re-classify and come in to play sooner than he should, his red shirting allows him to be able to come in and adjust to all the hoopala, adjust to classes, adjust to all the new things and not have the pressure to prove himself on the court. He has the time now to come in and work with our S/C staff, to practice with the team, to get to know his team mates. Imagine, he gets to practice against Bacot and Dawson, then comes the off season again and he plays pick up with NBA Tar Heels and other former players. All that before the other members of his class even arrive at campus, can you imagine not just the learning experience he gains from that but the life long friendships he forges that provide a life worth of memories? Even if the pro game is not in his future, he is already ahead in his classwork, a leg up on a upper level degree maybe.
And now we have NIL, yeah, he can as well get a head start on that aspect as well, at least gain a better understanding of how that works.

For the kid, seems to me he is in a position that it will be easier to create fond memories by the path he is taking than staying home but never being there, he is playing on a travel team right now rather than forging memories in his home town. He will not be traveling year round to play when he gets to UNC, he will have more stability and time to develop not only as a player but as a young man, I see that as a very good thing.
 
And I think you are looking at it purely through the Carolina Blue glasses as to what is most advantageous to the basketball program, and making every argument in that direction. Personally, I could care less what this kid does. But I am talking about collectively all of these kids that are rushing their youth away always trying to speed time along to move to the next step. Can't follow the normal time table because everybody has told them since they were 8 that they were going pro. And for the majority, they never make it like they think. I think a lot more than you think, maybe even some that did make it, look back and wish they had enjoyed their high school years because college, etc., were still going to be there
 
And I think you are looking at it purely through the Carolina Blue glasses as to what is most advantageous to the basketball program, and making every argument in that direction. Personally, I could care less what this kid does. But I am talking about collectively all of these kids that are rushing their youth away always trying to speed time along to move to the next step. Can't follow the normal time table because everybody has told them since they were 8 that they were going pro. And for the majority, they never make it like they think. I think a lot more than you think, maybe even some that did make it, look back and wish they had enjoyed their high school years because college, etc., were still going to be there
Interesting perspective. I enjoyed my high school years, and enjoyed my college years even more. I do not see it as missing out on his youthful experiences. Only can speak for my experience, if I had to trade 1 high school year for 1 more on campus, I chose campus. I wasn't a UNC player either, I think he will do plenty of enjoying his youth while on campus.

Congrats to him for finishing his high school requirements to have the choice.
 
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