Sean May commits to North Carolina

Sean May won't follow in his father's footsteps. Or his brother's.\nThe Bloomington High School North standout forward verbally committed Sunday to play at North Carolina. In doing so, May turned down the chance to play alongside his older brother, Scott May Jr. a freshman walk-on at IU this season, and the opportunity to play at the same school where his father, Scott May, won a national championship and was the college player of the year in 1976. North Athletics Director Ralph Sieboldt confirmed the report Monday and said he didn't expect a press conference. \nSieboldt said the family might issue a statement.\n"I don't think Sean wants to talk about it," he said.\n"I just talked to him, and he told me he's decided to go to North Carolina," Scott May Jr. told the Associated Press Sunday. "He wanted to know what I thought about it, and I told him I was really happy for him. This has been a difficult decision for him, and I know he's happy to have it behind him."\nDuring IU's Midnight Madness practice Oct. 13, May told the IDS that he had narrowed his choices to North Carolina, IU and Louisville. May said he would delay his decision until November to "sit down and talk with his family." \nMay, regarded by many recruiting experts as one of the top players in the nation, visited UNC the weekend before Midnight Madness and said he stayed in Bloomington because of logistics and familiarity. \n"I've been coming (to IU's Midnight Madness) for a long time," May said at the practice. "It's close to home."\nThe same factors evidently didn't sway May's decision this weekend. \nScott May Jr. said last week that he wanted his brother to play at IU but indicated he'd support Sean's decision no matter what. \n"He's good enough to play anywhere," Scott May Jr. said. "His decision is going to affect me. That's my brother, we're best friends and we're extremely close. Of course, I'd like for him to come to IU and room with me. His decision is up to him. But, I can't tell him where to go." May, who averaged 24.3 points and 12.3 rebounds a game as a junior, would have been IU's fourth verbal commitment for next season. Six-foot-1 guard Marshall Strickland (Mt. Airy, Md.) committed to IU in July, 6-foot-4 guard Bracey Wright (The Colony, Texas) committed in September and 6-foot-8 forward Daryl Pegram (Worcester Academy in Worcester, Mass.) committed last week.\nWright and Strickland said at Midnight Madness that they were doing their best to get Sean May in cream and crimson. \n"I think he's going to come," Wright said. "I really do."\n"We've both been working real hard," Strickland added. \nMay met Strickland at Midnight Madness and had previously developed a friendship with Wright. The trio sat along court watching the practice as fans chanted May's name and held signs attempting to persuade him to commit to the Hoosiers and asked for autographs. The nearly 9,000 fans on hand greeted May, Wright and Strickland with an ovation when they entered the gym on the floor level. \nMay didn't tip his hand that night saying only that "you always want to play with great players."\nScott May said earlier this month that he had not discouraged his son from committing to IU because of the firing of Knight. Sean May and his father visited former IU coach and current Texas Tech coach Bob Knight in Lubbock, Texas, over the weekend. \n"This isn't about the rift between Coach and (IU president) Myles Brand, or the rift between Coach and the University; this is about my kid," May told the Associated Press. "I don't have a problem with Sean playing at IU if that's what he wants to do. It's his decision. In the end, he'll make up his mind on what he wants to do and where he wants to."\nNorth Carolina officials could not confirm the report because of NCAA restrictions, and IU officials said they had received no notification from May that he had turned down IU. \nNorth Carolina coach Matt Doherty, in his first season in Chapel Hill, will need May to replace the holes 6-foot-10 seniors Kris Lang and Brian Bersticker will leave upon graduating after this season.\nThe Associated Press contributed to this report.