Category: Basketball Recruiting

Tar Heels officially offer top-10, five-star recruit in Class of 2026

Hubert Davis and UNC have another five-star in the Class of 2026 on their radar.

North Carolina and Hubert Davis are back on the recruiting grind during the season with an official offer to another five-star in the Class of 2026.

A few weeks ago, they extended an official offer to Deron Rippey, Jr., a four-star power forward from Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey.

Today, the recruiting staff has officially extended an offer to the No. 9 ranked player on 247sports basketball recruiting rankings, Anthony Thompson.

According to 247sports, Thompson is a five-star with a rating of 98. He is the No. 3 ranked small forward in the country and the No. 1 ranked player from Ohio. He has a composite score on 247sports of .9935.

Thompson already has offers from several top colleges in the country including Alabama, Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, and Auburn. He also has offers from several ACC rivals including Clemson, Notre Dame, Louisville, and Wake Forest.

On top of the offers Thompson already has, he has made unofficial visits to Lexington, Kentucky, to see the Wildcats twice and to Michigan to unofficially visit the Wolverines and State Spartans.

If Thompson’s interest in the program is mutual, the next step is to schedule a visit to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and meet with the program and staff.

The Tar Heels will next be in action on Tuesday night as they take on SMU, a newer ACC team, at home in the Dean Smith Center at 9:00 pm.

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UNC basketball watching Class of 2026’s top shooting guard at Holiday Tournament

Can UNC lock in its first Class of 2026 basketball commitment this weekend?

While the North Carolina Tar Heels try and break out of their rut this college basketball season, they’re also trying to recruit for the future.

It’s nearly Christmas, making it the perfect time to watch prospects, as cities across the nation hold Holiday Tournament.

Some of the UNC coaching staff is getting a piece of the recruiting pie this December, currently spending time at the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla.

There’s one particular star North Carolina has its eye on: Caleb Holt, the Class of 2026’s third-ranked player, Georgia’s top-ranked player and the nation’s top-ranked shooting guard.

The Tar Heels are in hot pursuit to land a commitment from Holt, whom they offered back in July. Holt is one of six players with a 2026 offer from UNC, which also extended offers to 5-star power forwards Tyran Stokes and Miikka Muurinin, 5-star small forwards Cameron Holmes and Cole Cloer, plus a fellow 5-star shooting guard in Jordan Smith.

If North Carolina wants to land a commitment from Holt, it’ll have to beat out 19 other schools looking at him, including two elite SEC programs in Auburn and Kentucky.

Holt, who now plays his high school basketball for Grayson High in Loganville, Ga. originally hails from Alabama. Holt’s first season at his new school is off to a solid start, as he has the Rams off to a 9-0 start.

Being able to land Holt would re-assure every UNC fan of Hubert Davis’ recruiting abilities. Despite landing 5-stars Drake Powell and Ian Jackson in the 2024 class, North Carolina is falling behind in the Class of 2025, with just two commitments from Isaiah Denis and Derek Dixon. 

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UNC basketball has just two Class of 2025 targets left after AJ Dybantsa’s BYU commitment

AJ Dybantsa’s commitment leaves the UNC basketball 2025 recruiting class ultra-thin.

The North Carolina Tar Heels only have two basketball stars locked up in their 2025 recruiting class – and just two targets remaining.

UNC lost its greatest target on Tuesday, Dec. 10, when the Class of 2025’s top-ranked player in AJ Dybantsa chose BYU.

Dybantsa currently plays his high school ball at Utah Prep, so I can understand his choice if location was a factor, but there are rumors Dybantsa also chose a $7 million NIL bag.

With Dybantsa now gone, North Carolina now needs to focus all its 2025 recruiting attention on Caleb Wilson, a 5-star power forward from Atlanta, Ga.

Wilson, who plays his high school ball at Holy Innocents Episcopal School, is the Class of 2025’s fifth-ranked player. Wilson is the nation’s third-ranked power forward, plus Georgia’s top overall player.

The Tar Heels already have commitments from 4-star combo guards Isaiah Denis and Derek Dixon, but they have yet to land a 5-star.

UNC hasn’t totally bombed in Class of 2025 recruiting, but it has lost out on two of its greatest targets. In addition to losing out on Dybantsa, North Carolina previously watched Jasper Johnson commit to Kentucky.

If the Tar Heels’ original 2025 class was based on offers alone, they’d have one of the nation’s best, but sadly, we are in a recruiting era where kids are choosing money over tradition.

I can’t blame recruits for chasing a bag, as they’ll be setting themselves (and their families) up for a better future. NIL is helping less-established programs lure in top-recruits, such as BYU with Dybantsa, but it’s also turning college sports more professional.

If UNC lands Wilson and Nate Ament, UNC’s other Class of 2025 target, its Dybantsa miss matters a lot less. If Wilson – and/or Ament – choose elsewhere, Hubert Davis will have to seriously reconsider his recruiting efforts.

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UNC basketball to visit 5-star Class of 2026 target after AJ Dybantsa miss

Can UNC land its first Class of 2026 basketball commitment on Wednesday?

The North Carolina Tar Heels failed to land a commitment from AJ Dybantsa, the Class of 2025’s top-ranked player, but that isn’t stopping them from continuing along the recruiting trail.

UNC’s next focus now appears to be on the 2026 recruiting class, with an upcoming visit for one of the class’ top players.

On Tuesday, Dec. 10, North Carolina announced that it will pay 5-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. a visit.

Rippey, a junior who plays his high school basketball at Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey, is the Class of 2026’s 21st-ranked player. Rippey is also the country’s fifth-ranked point guard, plus the top-ranked player in New Jersey.

UNC won’t be the only program in attendance Wednesday, as ACC rival Syracuse announced its plan to visit Rippey.

If the Tar Heels offer Rippey after their visit, he’ll be their seventh. North Carolina has already offered six other 5-star recruits: power forward Tyran Stokes, small forwards Cameron Holmes, Caleb Holt and in-state talent Cole Cloer, shooting guard Jordan Smith and power forward Miikka Muurinen.

UNC showed its ability to land top-end talent in its 2024 recruiting class, with 5-star McDonalds All-Americans Drake Powell and Ian Jackson choosing to play their college ball in Chapel Hill. High school standouts still want to become Tar Heels, but in today’s NIL era, money is seemingly more important to them.

When Hubert Davis is up in New Jersey visiting Rippey, he needs to find a way to convince Rippey that North Carolina is still a highly-sought-after college basketball destination.

UNC has the championships, NCAA Tournament appearances and tradition that some of these other programs – in this case, BYU – doesn’t have. Other programs might be able to offer high schoolers more money, only for those players to transfer or turn pro after one year.

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Class of 2025 top recruit commits to Big 12 school over North Carolina

North Carolina losses the sweepstakes on the Class of 2025 overall top recruit.

The Class of 2025 for North Carolina is looking slimmer and slimmer. Currently, Hubert Davis has verbal commits from the No. 47 player in the nation, Isaiah Denis, and the No. 51 ranked player, Derek Dixon.

The Tar Heels were in the hunt for the No. 1 overall player in the country, AJ Dybantsa after reaching his final four teams that he was deciding between.

Today, Dybantsa chose to commit to BYU over North Carolina, Alabama, and Kansas. Dybantsa reigns from Hurricane, Utah, at Utah Prep.

That gave BYU, the Provo, Utah, school the advantage of being his “hometown” university.

Dybantsa told ESPN the following regarding his commitment to BYU.

At BYU, the whole staff from the head coach on down came from the NBA. Head coach Kevin Young coached my favorite player in KD, and coached Devin Booker. Both had a lot of good things to say about him. We watched clips of both.

Dybantsa is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft so having a school and staff that will prepare him for that step was a big part of his decision-making.

It can only be assumed that North Carolina’s recent struggles this season played a part in his decision as well. However, there are still several players that Hubert Davis is looking to add to his team from the Class of 2025, but the players are depleting quickly.

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Former UNC basketball target Jarin Stevenson returns home with Alabama

Jarin Stevenson grew up in Chapel Hill, but now plays his college basketball at Alabama.

One of the most highly-touted high school basketball prospects in recent years, Jarin Stevenson, grew up in Chapel Hill and played his high school basketball just down the road in Pittsboro.

The North Carolina Tar Heels were all over Stevenson in the recruiting process, hoping to add yet another homegrown talent to their roster. UNC was one of nine schools recruiting Stevenson, but more importantly, one of three finalists.

Stevenson ended up choosing Alabama in the end – and nine games into his sophomore season, Stevenson made his long-awaited return to Chapel Hill.

After the Crimson Tide dominated North Carolina on Wednesday, 94-79, Stevenson spoke briefly about what it meant to play – against the team he grew up cheering for.

“Tonight was definitely a surreal feeling,” Stevenson said. “I’ve been to quite a bit of their (UNC) games. My mom (Nicole (Walker) Stevenson) played here too. It’s nice being back and it’s always great to get a win.”

Jarin played 16 minutes in his 10th career start, scoring six points on a pair of 3-pointers. Stevenson grabbed three rebounds, dished out one assist and blocked one shot.

Stevenson was part of an extremely tall Alabama starting lineup, with himself, Grant Nelson and Cliff Omoruyi all standing 6’11”. The Tar Heels struggled to get into any sort of shooting rhythm against the Crimson Tide’s tall defense, particularly from deep, where the Tar Heels shot just 5-of-28.

Whenever a North Carolina target like Stevenson chooses elsewhere, it always makes me wonder “what if?” Would UNC be that much better if Stevenson was on the roster? Does Stevenson ever wish he stayed a Tar Heel?

It was odd seeing Stevenson in an Alabama uniform, but I’m glad the hometown kid enjoyed his return to Chapel Hill.

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Top overall recruit cuts list down to four schools

The UNC basketball program makes the cut for the top overall recruit in the 2025 class.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are hoping to add a big piece to their 2025 recruiting class which currently has two players committed. As Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels’ continue their pursuit of AJ Dybantsa and Caleb Wilson, landing one would be huge.

And on Wednesday, they took a step forward in the recruitment for Dybantsa.

Per Eric Bossi of 247Sports, Dybantsa made an update to his recruitment on Wednesday, cutting his list down to a final four. Dybantsa will focus on North Carolina, BYU, Kansas and Alabama.

Furthermore, Bossi is reporting that Dybantsa’s father, Ace, will be in the Dean Dome for Wednesday’s showdown between the Tar Heels and Crimson Tide.

A 6-foot-9 small forward from Brockton (Mass.), who is playing his senior year at Hurricane (Utah) Utah Prep, Dybantsa’s finalists are Alabama, Brigham Young, Kansas and North Carolina.

Additionally, the elder Dybantsa will be in attendance on Wednesday night as North Carolina hosts Alabama as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge.

The 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward is ranked as the top overall recruit in the 2025 class. He’s already visited North Carolina for an official visit before.

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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.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCU08t9xUBL/

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.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCUZSS3xKUi/

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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