In just under five months, the UNC basketball team will tip-off its 2024-2025 season.
North Carolina should be one of the most exciting teams to watch in college basketball this year, highlighted by the return of reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis. Starting guard Elliot Cadeau and key reserve Seth Trimble also return, 5-star freshman Ian Jackson and Drake Powell will see valuable minutes (and possibly playing time), while transfers Cade Tyson and Ven-Allen Lubin should start from Day One.
Even with the coming season’s roster sent, that hasn’t stopped UNC head coach Hubert Davis from getting a head-start on the future recruiting trails.
The Tar Heels have already offered 14 players in the Class of 2025, but only one in the Class of 2026 – Cole Cloer, a small forward from nearby Hillsborough, NC.
There’s one more Class of 2026 star that wants an offer from North Carolina – Herly Brutus, a 6’6″, 180-lbs. small forward from Umatilla (Fla.) High School.
ESPN 60 2026 Herly Brutus 6’6 from Umatilla HS (FL) Holds offer from Jacksonville(FL), he’s been everywhere on the court defensively, active hands, slides his feet really well. Offensively he attacks the rim with a great pace and has great vision for a wing, one to keep your eye… pic.twitter.com/dtIs64Qcnv
— BIG SH🏀TS (@BigShotsGlobal) June 9, 2024
“I had UNC, and it’s still UNC now,” the 17-year-old Brutus explained to Pro Insight at the recent Crossroads Elite Invitational in Kansas City, Kan. “And I’m hoping to get that offer soon — sooner or later.”
Depending on how long incoming 5-star small forward Drake Powell stays at UNC, Chapel Hill could be a great git for Brutus. He and Powell could form a deadly, 1-2 starter-reserve punch that is hard to come by in college basketball, or Brutus could enter the starter if Powell goes pro.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.