This is a big time for UNC basketball recruiting to say the least. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />

Doherty is making his home visit to David Padgett's Reno home tonight. Other coaches are visiting Padgett's home this week too, so I am expecting a committment next week.

Also, Brian Butch is taking his official visit this weekend. Hopefully Doherty will pull out all the stops for Brian. The weather should be much nicer than it was for Padgett, and hopefully our football team will put up a good showing against Texas.

This is a big time for Doherty and the future of our program. Hopefully all his hard-work will pay off and we will get one of this two talented young players to be a Tar Heel.

I have complete confidence in Matt, but keep your fingers crossed! Go Heels! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[Cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/cheers.gif" />

I hope UNC signs Butch he is so good! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

I don't want to make more out of it than is reasonable, but signing either Butch or Padgett is so important that it almost overshadows everything else Doherty has done over the last few months. Missing on both of them, after all Doherty's work, would really send a message to the rest of the NCAA D-1 community: Doherty can't recruit a quality big man.

Of course, that's absolutely unfair. Even if we miss on Butch and Padgett, there are still other big men (Taft, Alleyn etc.) available. Padgett has always been a long shot IMO. I think when he took his visit we were probably #3 or #4 on his list, and he was prepared to 86 Carolina if everything didn't go great. But, it seems he really did enjoy himself, and as a result we may have moved up to #2 (behind Kansas). Butch is I think a stronger possibility, with everything riding on this weekend's visit. Right now I'd think we were no better than 50/50 with Wisconsin for his services.

If on the other hand we sign one of these two, the message will be "Carolina's Back!" and I think Doherty's road will have a lot less potholes in the future. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="cool.gif" />

I completely agree ZinFanHeel:

We all know Doherty is one of the hardest if not the hardest recruiter in college hoops. But many opposing fans argue that he has yet to sign a player that wasn't life long UNC fan except for Sean May, which IMO proves Doherty can land big time guys. Doherty can definetly recruit big men better than most coaches, but the question is can he get one to come to UNC.

Let's keep our fingers crossed...

I feel that we are behind Kansas with Padgett, but maybe Doherty will do something/say something amazing during his in-home visit tonight that results in a Padgett committment.

On Butch, I think that he is down to us and Wisconsin. Hopefully, he will have an outstanding visit and Doherty will pull out all the stops this weekend while Butch is in Chapel Hill.

Oh man, this is nerveracking! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

I have confidence in Doherty, and let's hope Butch and/or Padgett do too.

Go Heels! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" />