Tag: Simeon Wilcher

Watch: 4-star G Simeon Wilcher commits to St. John’s in style

Wilcher’s announcement is part Coming to America, part Nas and part basketball highlight reel.

High school hoopers are on another level when it comes to style points for their college commitments. One of the best we have seen came out on Monday when Roselle Catholic (N.J.) four-star guard Simeon Wilcher announced his commitment to St. John’s with a slick video.

Wilcher’s announcement is part “Coming to America,” part Nas and part basketball highlight reel. Watch.

Wilcher (6-foot-4, 185 pounds) is No. 4 overall in New Jersey, No. 7 among combo guards and No. 34 nationally in the class of 2023, going by the 247Sports composite rankings. He also had offers from 13 other programs, including Nebraska and North Carolina.

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Twitter reacts to former UNC recruit Simeon Wilcher committing to St. John’s

Here are some Twitter reactions to former UNC basketball commit Simeon Wilcher picking St. John’s on Monday.

The North Carolina Tar Heels received some disappointing news last week when four-star 2023 commit Simeon Wilcher asked for his release. Wilcher departed the program a week before he was scheduled to be on campus after being committed since 2021.

For whatever reason, Wilcher didn’t see a fit in Chapel Hill anymore and opted to go a different route.

Now, a week later Wilcher has found a new home and he’s staying in state to play for Rick Pitino and St. John’s. Wilcher committed to St. John’s on Monday, giving the Red Storm a big-time commitment early on in the Pitino era.

While it stings for UNC fans, the Tar Heels are now moving forward with a two-man class in 2023 as Elliot Cadeau and Zayden High are now on campus. 

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the news of Wilcher picking St. John’s a week after leaving UNC.

Former UNC recruit Simeon Wilcher commits to St. Johns

Former UNC basketball recruit Simeon Wilcher has committed to St. Johns after taking a visit there.

Former North Carolina four-star guard Simeon Wilcher asked for his release a week before he was supposed to arrive on campus. The move shocked many who follow the program as he had re-opened his recruitment and changed his mind.

And now, he’s found a new home which isn’t surprising.

Wilcher has officially committed to St. John’s on Monday, picking Rick Pitino and the Red Storm after taking a visit last week. It’s a big pickup for Pitino at his latest stop, landing the talented recruit and it’s clear he had his eyes on the New Jersey native for a while now.

After Pitino took the job, there were rumors that he would pursue both Wilcher and five-star UNC commit Ian Jackson. He even made visits to both schools to check-in. And now, months later he has one of his targets.

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Wilcher is ranked No.46 nationally, the No. 9 combo guard, and No. 5 player in the state of New Jersey per the 247Sports recruiting rankings. He’s the highest-rated recruit to commit to St. John’s in over a decade.

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UNC basketball releases Simeon Wilcher from letter of intent

UNC basketball commit Simeon Wilcher has been granted his release out of his letter of intent.

Just under 247 hours after Simeon Wilcher requested his release from the program, Hubert Davis and North Carolina have honored that request.

Per multiple reports, Wilcher has officially been released from his letter of intent and his new recruitment is officially on again. The four-star guard committed to North Carolina in October of 2021 as the first recruit to commit in that class.

He was later joined by G.G. Jackson who then reclassified and decommitted, and then most recently Zayden High. But after Wilcher’s departure, UNC’s class is now made up of High and five-star guard Elliot Cadeau who just reclassified from 2024.

The loss is a big one for North Carolina but it appears as if Wilcher saw the depth chart and wanted to see playing time earlier in his career.

Either way, UNC will move forward now with a few scholarships left and could hit the transfer portal again.

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Rutgers basketball: Simeon Wilcher will not attend UNC

Simeon Wilcher is leaving North Carolina basketball.

Simeon Wilcher, who had originally been committed to North Carolina, has asked for his release from the Tar Heels program.

Committed to North Carolina in October of 2021, Wilcher was a tremendous player at Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.). Roselle Catholic finished last season 23-6.

He was expected to challenge for immediate playing time with the Tar Heels.

A member of the 2023 recruiting class, Wilcher is a consensus four-star recruit as well as being ranked a top 50 player nationally by all four recruiting services. He is ranked the No. 31 recruit in the nation and the tenth-best shooting guard in his class by Rivals.

He topped 1,000 career points this past season.

There is no reported offer from Rutgers from Wilcher’s offer list.

Could Rutgers get involved with Wilcher now? Potentially.

Given that Cam Spencer entered the transfer portal two weeks ago, Rutgers could have a need at shooting guard. Now is Wilcher a fit?

Defensively, Wilcher is aggressive off the ball and clogs the passing lanes well. He was a solid rebounder at the high school and is a good scorer.

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With a summer move needed by Wilcher to get enrolled in the fall, the in-state school might present an enticing opportunity. Wilcher could see some early playing time at Rutgers, play in front of friends and family and do so in the Big Ten, one of the toughest conferences in the country.

Rutgers also hasn’t landed a shooting guard in their last two recruiting cycles, underscoring that Wilcher could fill a void on the roster.

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Twitter reacts to Simeon Wilcher’s request to be released from his National Letter of Intent to UNC

Twitter reacts to Simeon Wilcher’s request to be released from his National Letter of Intent to UNC.

When you thought the UNC basketball program was finally sailing smoothly, another iceberg appears with [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] requesting a release from his National Letter of Intent.

Safe to say, the bad news brought a boatload of reactions, with fans discussing what felt like a sudden decision from Wilcher. However, even the bad comes with the good, which now gives Hubert Davis an additional scholarship for this upcoming season.

Wilcher, a 2023 four-star recruit, garnered significant attention since committing to UNC in November of 2022. What seemed like a lock, especially after a few departures to the transfer portal, became questionable. The Tar Heels did indeed lose talent, but one could argue that the gain through the portal and reclassification of Elliot Cadeau brought back a deep roster.

No one knows what went into Wilcher’s decision to de-commit from UNC, but many wonders if playing for a spot in Davis’s tight rotation played a part.

To no surprise, this shocking news put Twitter in shambles. Let us look at how the college basketball world reacted to Wilcher’s decision to de-commit from UNC.

Where UNC basketball signees sit in final 2023 ESPN rankings

ESPN updated its final class of 2023 player rankings this week, with both of UNC basketball’s signees sitting in the top-75.

As the 2023 class winds down its high school year, the final class rankings have started to come out. For UNC basketball’s two-man class, both players landed in the top 100.

UNC’s class of [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] and [autotag]Zayden High[/autotag] ranks No. 24 in the ESPN team rankings. Originally, UNC’s class included the top overall prospect in the class, GG Jackson, before he reclassified to 2022 and flipped his commitment to South Carolina.

Either way, the Tar Heels ended up with two four-star prospects.

Simeon Wilcher finished at No. 27 overall while Zayden High was No. 75 in the class.

ESPN recruiting analysts Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi broke down UNC’s class.

“Carolina had some misfortune in the 2023 class when elite prospect G.G. Jackson decommitted and ultimately wound up in the 2022 class with South Carolina. But Hubert Davis has a very good duo lined up at this stage. Five-star guard Wilcher has been in the fold for more than a year. He’s an excellent offensive player, capable of playing either guard spot and showing high-level ability as a scorer and creator. ESPN 100 forward Zayden High was a stock-riser during the spring and summer, bursting onto the scene during the April Nike EYBL sessions. High is an intriguing offensive piece given his ability to score inside but also stretch the floor with his shooting ability.”

Joining the two-man high school class next season so far are Louisville transfer forward Jae’Lyn Withers and Brown transfer wing Paxson Wojcik.

Both Wilcher and High are expected to be multi-year players in Chapel Hill.

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Key UNC target talks potential of reclassifying to 2023 class

Key 2024 UNC basketball target discusses the potential of reclassifying to the 2023 class — leaving the door open to make the move.

While the UNC basketball 2023 recruiting class is just a two-man class at the moment, there is the possibility of adding to it.

Four-star guard Simeon Wilcher and four-star forward Zayden High will enroll in the summer … but could a five-star join them?

Current 2024 top-15 forward [autotag]Jarin Stevenson[/autotag] has had rumors about his potentially reclassifying surrounding his recruitment. As of now, he’s staying in 2024, but he is not closing the door on a move to the 2023 class.

“Right now, it is just an option, there is nothing set in stone,” Stevenson told 247Sports. “I am still seeing things out and testing what the schools got and seeing if it is the best option. I think the odds are between 40- and 50-percent (to reclassify).”

The 6-foot-10 Stevenson is the No. 12 overall prospect in the 2024 class in the 247Sports rankings. He is also the top overall prospect in North Carolina and the No. 2 overall power forward.

Throughout his recruitment, Stevenson has visited UNC numerous times, and he’s planning another return visit after the college season ends.

NC State, Duke, Virginia, Missouri, Georgetown, Arkansas and others are some of the main programs involved in his recruitment.

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Hubert Davis on Simeon Wilcher: ‘He can be dominant on both ends of the court’

UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis comments on the signing of five-star guard Simeon Wilcher.

The UNC basketball program signed the final member of its class of 2023 on Tuesday afternoon as five-star guard [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] put pen to paper and made it official.

Wilcher, ranked No. 19 overall in the 247Sports Composite rankings, joins four-star forward Zayden High who officially signed with UNC last week.

Wilcher will come to Carolina after the expected departure of at least one member of its backcourt in Caleb Love and a potential departure of RJ Davis. Because of that Wilcher will be expected to step in immediately to provide an impact.

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis spoke publicly for the first time on Wilcher. 

“We’re very excited about Simeon joining Carolina Basketball. He is exactly what we were looking for and what we wanted in a guard in the class of 2023. He has a skilled combination of size, athleticism and competitiveness, is an excellent on-ball defender, can really shoot well and is a fantastic finisher at the basket. What really sets him apart is his terrific understanding of when to pass and when to shoot. He can be dominant on both ends of the court and he simply makes everyone around him better, which is one of the reasons his team is ranked No. 1 in the country. Simeon and his family are the kind of people we are always looking for to be a part of this program.”

The 6-foot-5 guard led Roselle Catholic (NJ) to a New Jersey State Championship as a junior while averaging 16.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. He had 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the State Title game.

UNC’s 2023 two-man recruiting class ranks No. 26 in the country.

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Zayden High signs letter of intent with UNC basketball

UNC basketball commit Zayden High wasted no time signing his letter of intent on Wednesday.

Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball staff will welcome in a two-man recruiting class for the 2023 cycle as they push forward for the future of the program. While it will be a long time before [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] and [autotag]Zayden High[/autotag] get on campus, the two are set to sign their letters of intent here in November.

And on Wednesday, High wasted no time doing that.

High officially signed his letter of intent to join the University of North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon, turning it in and officially becoming a Tar Heel. He opted to sign during the early period here rather than wait until later on to do so.

The 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward out of Spring Branch, Texas committed to UNC back in October. He opted to join the Tar Heels over 20 other offers and it was s visit to Chapel Hill that really sealed the deal for him.

Wilcher is expected to sign his letter of intent later on in November.

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