Category: Basketball Recruiting

UNC basketball target commits to Big Ten school without visiting

A four-star recruit that had UNC in his final five pulled a 180 and committed to a school he hasn’t even visited.

North Carolina’s Class of 2025 recruiting series has been rough. They only have two recruits committed from the class, Isaiah Dennis and Derek Dixon.

Both of them are four-star guards, the No. 47 and No. 51 ranked players in the Class of 2025. The most recent prospect that the Tar Heels had on their watch list, and similarly, the player had North Carolina in their final grouping, was four-star, 6-foot-10 forward Niko Bundalo.

Bundalo is the No. 31 ranked player in the class, the No. 8 ranked forward, and the No. 5 ranked player from California. Currently, he is a member of the Prolific Prep squad based in Napa, California.

Bundalo had taken all of his visits and narrowed his top four schools down to Michigan State, Ohio State, UConn, and North Carolina.

However, Niko made his decision this week and chose not to commit to the University of North Carolina. Instead, he chose Washington, a school that wasn’t in his final four, nor did he ever visit.

According to Jeff Borzello from ESPN, Bundalo had this to say about the decision.

I thought I was finished with my recruitment when I narrowed my list to a final four. Then schools got commitments, and I was not ready and then the season started, so I had to start over. When Washington heard I was reopening my commitment, they jumped right in, and they have been great.

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UNC basketball signs first two pieces of 2025 recruiting class

The UNC men’s basketball team just got two players better in the 2025 recruiting class on Wednesday.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are no stranger to signing high-profile basketball recruits – just look at what they did in their 2024 recruiting class.

On Wednesday, UNC officially added two recruits to its roster, nabbing the first two pieces of its 2025 recruiting class.

Davidson Day School’s Isaiah Denis and Gonzaga College High School’s Derek Dixon, a pair of 4-star combo guards who should step into major roles for North Carolina during the 2025-2026 college basketball season, officially signed to continue their basketball careers in Chapel Hill.

Denis and Dixon aren’t too far removed from their initial commitments. Dixon committed to the Tar Heels on Friday, Sept. 27, while Denis committed on Saturday, Nov. 2.

At 6’5, I see Denis playing a role similar to current UNC freshman Drake Powell. Denis can either run the point or play shooting guard, but also has the height to play the 3-spot – if UNC head coach Hubert Davis elects for a smaller starting lineup.

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Dixon is a bit shorter at 6’3″, so I see him being exclusively a point guard or shooting guard. Dixon’s recruiting profile points to him being a solid perimeter shooter, so in the best case scenario, he produces at a high clip like reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis.

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The Tar Heels aren’t anywhere close to being done yet in the class of 2025, as they’re chasing the likes of top recruits Caleb Wilson and AJ Dybantsa. Plenty of high school kids are still undecided – and with Hubert Davis’ track record on the recruiting trail, expect several additional high school stars to choose North Carolina as their college basketball destination.

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UNC basketball highest-ranked Class of 2025 prospect to commit months early

Hubert Davis’ top prospect is set to make his decision way before he was projected.

North Carolina and Hubert Davis have two commitments in the Class of 2025. The top overall recruit for UNC basketball is the No. 47 ranked player, Isaiah Denis, and the No. 51 ranked player, Derek Dixon.

Davis does not want to stop with those two as the team is actively involved in the recruitment of Caleb Wilson, the No. 8 overall player, and AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 overall ranked player.

After he finished his visits with BYU on October 11th, Dybantsa was originally scheduled to make his decision in February, approximately three months away. However, now, that has changed.

Dybantsa first told his new decision timeline to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi.

The original plan was to commit in February. The visits stopped in October. We wanted to make sure we had enough time to see all the schools play. We are ahead of where we thought we would be. If I know where I want to go, why wait? It’s probably going to be in December. I feel I will be ready by then.

All Tar Heel fans anxiously await a decision that could change the course of UNC basketball for the next couple of years. Currently, 247sports has its crystal ball set on Bringham Young University, but anything can happen until that decision comes down from Dybantsa.

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UNC four-star basketball recruit commits to rival blue-blood

UNC was in the final teams for this four-star forward who ended up committing to another blue blood.

UNC basketball recruiting target Nikolas Khamenia shocked the ACC with his commitment on Tuesday. The four-star power forward from Harvard Westlake had North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, Gonzaga and Arizona in his final five.

That list was reduced to Duke, UCLA and Gonzaga entering this week. That left Arizona and UNC on the outside looking in.

Khamenia was the No. 19 player and the No. 5 power forward nationally, and the No. 4 player in California. Given Khamenia was born in Studio City, California, the front-runner for the Class of 2025 star was presumed to be UCLA, his hometown university.

However, Khamenia gave a hard commitment to Duke even though the Blue Devils already have 6-foot-9 forward Cameron Boozer in their recruiting class. Boozer is the second-ranked player nationally and No. 1 power forward in the 2025 cycle.

With North Carolina already out of the running, the worst thing that could have transpired with this commitment was to see him attend a school where the Tar Heels have to see him twice a year.

This leaves North Carolina and Hubert Davis looking for their second commitment in the Class of 2025. Thus far, the Tar Heels have a commitment only from combo guard Derek Dixon, which came last month.

There are still plenty of players Davis and the staff are hoping to bring to the program, including the No. 1 overall player in the class, AJ Dybantsa, who is rumored to be commanding over $4.5 million in name, image and likeness licensing compensation.

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UNC basketball visits Class of 2027 No. 1 overall recruit

The top recruit in the Class of 2027 received a visit from North Carolina and Hubert Davis.

The North Carolina Tar Heels will add a focus to their recruiting efforts now eying the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2027, according to the newest Rivals 150 for 2027.

Rosser is a 6-foot-8 forward out of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, playing for  Northern Nash High School. He currently has five total offers including two from ACC schools Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

Hubert Davis and UNC basketball showed interest in the forward with a recent visit to the in-state recruit. UNC wasn’t the only top interested party as Duke also made the visit to Rosser.

Rosser’s trainer, Darius Spragley, had this to say about the forward’s mentality.

What makes CJ special is his character off the court and how he is molding into a leader. He’s learning and that’s one of the great things about him. He’s always willing to learn, he’s like a sponge who’s willing to absorb knowledge.

Spragley also commented on the No. 1 overall recruit’s skillset.

He’s really improved his handle and shooting. Right now he’s learning how to maneuver around smaller guards. He doesn’t have a problem moving against people his size so he’s learning how to navigate through traffic, and finish. He’s the whole total package we just have some things we need to work on. His defense and motor are the main things we’re working on and that’ll come with time since he’s only a sophomore. It’ll all come with experience.

Rosser still has years left in high school, but as we have seen in recent recruits, showing interest early in recruitment can go a long way with the decision that they will make in a few years.

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UNC basketball recruiting target gives impressions of final five schools

UNC basketball four-star recruit gives impressions of final five schools including what he thought of Chapel Hill and Hubert Davis.

UNC basketball is on the search for more 2025 recruits with Nikolas Khamenia, a 6-foot-8 forward from Studio City, California, set to make his decision this October.

Hubert Davis has just four-star guard Derek Dixon committed in the class. The four-star forward is the No. 5 power forward in the country, the No. 4 player in the state of California, and the No. 19 ranked player in the nation.

He is up to a 97 score and the No. 19 rank on 247sports up two spots in the last month.

Khamenia is down to five schools including North Carolina. The other four include Arizona, Duke, Gonzaga, and UCLA.

Khamenia had this to say about Chapel Hill and North Carolina.

With North Carolina, I have had a good relationship since earlier in my junior year. And that’s been building on. I took a visit there. It was cool.

You can take that statement how you will, but it doesn’t sound incredibly encouraging heading into his decision later this month. He had more pleasantries in his impressions of Gonzaga, UCLA, and Duke.

The former two left the impression of recruiting him early, and John Scheyer talked about his “versatility and future role” with their team.

Nikolas Khamenia will make his decision in the next 10 days.

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UNC pays class of 2026 5-star recruit a recent visit

UNC visited Class of 2026 5-star power forward Miikka Muurinen in the past week. Power forward is a massive need for the Tar Heels in two seasons.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have never shied away from a basketball recruiting challenge, even when it means other Blue Bloods are chasing the same recruit.

UNC’s efforts on the recruiting trail have paid major dividends recently. North Carolina brought in a pair of electric 5-star freshmen, Drake Powell and Ian Jackson, to its current roster. The Tar Heels recently landed their first Class of 2025 commitment, snagging 4-star combo guard Derek Dixon.

UNC is already getting a headstart on the 2026 recruiting trail – and that includes a recent visit to see 5-star power forward Miikka Muurinen, the 6’10” Finnish phenom who plays his prep ball for Compass Prep in Chandler, Ariz.

According to Tar Heel Times, Muurinen is one of North Carolina’s seven Class of 2026 offers.

The Tar Heels have also offered 5-star power forward Tyran Stokes, 5-star small forwards Cameron Holmes, Caleb Holt and Cole Cloer, 5-star shooting guard Jordan Smith and 4-star power forward Kendre Harrison.

Looking ahead at UNC’s roster over the next two season, Muurinen is a massive need.

Tyzhaun Claude and Jae’Lyn Withers, both power forwards who can play at center if needed, are entering their final season of college basketball. Ven-Allen Lubin and Jalen Washington, both centers who can also play the four if needed, are juniors and will be gone in two years.

Sure, North Carolina can nab a big man or two in the transfer portal, but there wasn’t much luck with that this past offseason. The Tar Heels were linked to several top-line transfers, most notably Oumar Ballo and Coleman Hawkins, but both chose other destinations.

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UNC basketball program chasing a top guard in 2026 recruiting class

Deron Rippey Jr. is a Class of 2026 basketball recruit to keep your eye on. Why should UNC send an offer his way?

The North Carolina Tar Heels are going to have a guard-heavy basketball team this year.

Reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis returns to lead the deep guard group. Joining Davis will be sophomore Elliot Cadeau, defensive stalwart Seth Trimble and 5-star freshman Ian Jackson. If you look at UNC’s official roster, there’s nine players with guard eligibility.

With North Carolina expected to depart most of its guard core after the coming season, it needs to start preparing for the following two college basketball season.

That preparation includes the Tar Heels looking at Class of 2026 5-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr., the 247Sports Composite’s 21st-ranked player nationally, 4th-ranked point guard and top-ranked New Jersey recruit.

Check out Phenom Hoops’ extensive write-up on Rippey, who is also getting looks from – amongst others – Washington, Rutgers, Texas A&M and Michigan.

“When talking about his game, Rippey is one that immediately grabs your attention,” Phenom Hoops’ Patrick O’Brien wrote. “The 6’2 point guard knows how to run the show and do so effectively, displaying an excellent feel, court awareness, and playmaking with the ball in his hands. Rippey is so shifty yet strong on the court, to go along with impressive athleticism as a guard. He creates well with the ball in his hands, and excels in transition, but also shows poise within the halfcourt offense. Rippey thrived as a scorer on several occasions, finishing strong through and around defenders, getting paint touches consistently, but also doing a great job in being a 3-level scorer.  Rippey is someone you simply want to have the ball in his hands, and he will make things happen no matter what is needed.  And though he is already regarded as a top guard in his class, he backed that up on the national stage and showed why he is one of the elite guards in the country no matter what class.”

If UNC decides to offer Rippey, he’d be the program’s eighth Class of 2026 offer. North Carolina has yet to offer a 2026 point guard, so why not make a player of Rippey’s caliber its first?

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Caleb Wilson’s father comments on recent visit to Chapel Hill

Caleb Wilson, a five-star recruit, and his father spoke very highly of his visit to UNC and outlook on the program.

As he winds down his recruitment, the No. 5 ranked player in the country in the Class of 2025 visited UNC basketball and Chapel Hill. Caleb Wilson, the 6-foot-9 stretch post, was there for just one day.

Wilson is a five-star recruit with a 247sports composite score of .9982 which would make him the fifth-highest-ranked recruit in UNC basketball history.

Caleb Wilson’s father had some impressive and heartfelt comments on his visit to the campus at Chapel Hill with his son, via Adam Zagoria.

The visit was short and sweet; we were there on Saturday only. That campus is just picturesque. We got to ask some tough questions of the coaches and players, then see them live in action at practice. It was impressive, and the pace and energy were thrilling. We received all the answers needed from the visit.

Jerry Wilson went on to tell ZagsBlog on the message that UNC’s head coach gave Caleb and his family.

The message is that Caleb is wanted and needed here, so come be a part of this special place. He would be a vital part of the team next year. Allow the next chapter of your story to be on the biggest and brightest stage in college basketball. In the words of Coach [Hubert] Davis, at this level, you’re deciding on good vs good. You just have to figure out what’s best for you. Coach believes UNC fits that role best for Caleb.

North Carolina needs a guard like Wilson heading into next year with only Derek Dixon currently committed to the program. For now, we patiently await his decision.

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Five-star UNC basketball recruit sets date for commitment

Potentially the biggest recruit for Hubert Davis in the Class of 2025 sets commitment date.

Just a few weeks ago,  UNC basketball and Hubert Davis pulled in their first commitment of the Class of 2025 when Gonzaga Prep’s Derek Dixon decided Chapel Hill was where he wanted to play college basketball.

Now, Davis and his scouting staff turn their efforts to the next commit to announce his decision on five-star shooting guard Braylon Mullins.

The 6-foot-5 guard from Greenfield, Indiana, has a .9909 247sports Composite ranking and is also considering Indiana, his home state, and Dan Hurley and UConn, which are his final three teams that will be nailbiting on October 23rd.

Mullins had this to say about the final days before his commitment.

I’ve been writing things down, probably 10 minutes a day, just trying to figure it all out for myself and what best fits me. All three are good schools. I still don’t know if I want to go far yet, or not. It’s also going to be a challenge to take a bet (on) yourself and go far. IU is only an hour away so it’s a different standpoint for all three schools. So, I don’t know what to do yet and need to talk to my parents about that.

Mullins’ friend and former teammate Trent Sisley, a four-star recruit from Montverde Academy, recently committed to his hometown of Indiana and the Hoosiers while simultaneously attempting to recruit Mullins to his hometown as well.

Will Mullins stay home with Indiana or hit the road with two potential college basketball powerhouses on the final three list?

Find out on October 23, 2024.

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