The highest-rated basketball player in Iowa high school history, Harrison Barnes announced his decision to attend the University of North Carolina at a press conference in the Ames High School gymnasium on Friday.

Barnes, the top-ranked 2010 recruit by ESPN and Scout.com and the second-ranked recruit by rivals.com, had narrowed his decision to six schools. Along with North Carolina, Barnes was considering Duke, Kansas, UCLA, Oklahoma and Iowa State.

Barnes announced his decision to attend North Carolina by connecting with UNC coach Roy Williams via Skype. The entire Tar Heel team was behind Williams, waiting to hear Barnes’ decision.

“We wanted to do something because this is a very special day, so we thought this would be the most classy way to do it,” Barnes said of his decision to announce his decision through Skype.

“I’m so privileged to go play with Roy Williams. It think he’s a great teacher of the game, but, more importantly, they have the academic plan I like. The Kenan-Flagler Business School is unbelievable, and I think it will set me up for life after basketball.

“I got to talk to all the past North Carolina players and talk to them about their experiences, and I had a chance to bond with the current players that were there — it was an unbelievable visit, and I an enjoyed it a lot.”

Nate Sandell, Daily Staff Writer, contributed to this article