Tag: Simeon Wilcher

UNC’s top 2023 target Zayden High releases top-5 schools

The UNC basketball program was included in the top-5 list of four-star 2023 prospect and top target Zayden High.

UNC basketball’s top 2023 target is beginning to narrow down his recruitment and slowly get into decision-making mode.

Four-star forward [autotag]Zayden High[/autotag] released his top-5 programs on Monday, which included North Carolina. The other programs were Villanova, Texas, Michigan and Arkansas.

High is right off of an official visit to UNC this past weekend.

The 6-foot-8 forward broke down his list and the Tar Heels with On3.com.

“This weekend I went on an official visit to UNC. Coach (Hubert) Davis and Sean May took care of us and they went out of their way to make sure my sister and family were OK. As soon as we got out there, it was just pure love. The coaching staff up there, I don’t know what it was, but it seemed like they had everything together. They knew what they were doing. There was no mishaps. They knew exactly what they wanted from their guys and they demanded it. But at the end of the day, it’s love. The players up there know what it is too. They know they have to get their stuff done. That was probably the best visit I’ve been on so far.

“You can’t question UNC. Their facilities were top tier. They just redid their whole facilities. Coach Davis is down to earth and he’s going to give it to you how it is. Coach May is the same way. They’re really good dudes. Their practices were intense. They expect 100% out of everybody, every day. They all took care of my family so it was all love.”

UNC head coach Hubert Davis was actively pursuing High months ago before the commitment of GG Jackson all but put a seal on the rest of the Tar Heels 2023 class. Once he de-committed, High became one of the top targets for North Carolina.

High has visited Michigan and Villanova officially and Texas unofficially. He intends on visiting Arkansas before making a decision.

High is ranked No. 55 nationally, No. 12 power forward and No. 4 player in the state of Texas per the 247Sports recruiting rankings.

The Tar Heels have one commitment in the 2023 class, held by four-star guard Simeon Wilcher.

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Analyst thinks UNC has ‘very legitimate’ shot at landing 2023 prospect

One national analyst thinks the UNC basketball program has ‘very legitimate’ shot at landing 2023 prospect

With the UNC basketball out of the running for 2023 five-star forward TJ Power, the Tar Heels now turn their attention elsewhere to round out its class of 2023.

Four-star forward [autotag]Zayden High[/autotag] is the final player on the recruiting board for UNC. He’s a 6-foot-9 power forward ranked No. 48 in the 247Sports composite rankings. 

High is already scheduled to be on North Carolina’s campus at the end of the month for an official visit and has been connected to the program even before receiving an official offer.

While he wasn’t the top tier target for Hubert Davis, after the de-commitment of GG Jackson, the Tar Heels needed to expand their search.

Now, 247Sports recruiting director Eric Bossi believes the Tar Heels have a ‘very legitimate’ shot at landing High.

“If it comes down to it, I’m confident that the Heels can find a player to play the four in the transfer portal. They did it with Brady Manek for last season and they’ve done it with Pete Nance for this season. Before UNC goes portal hunting, let’s see what happens with their next target Zayden High. A native of Texas who is playing his senior season at Compass Prep in the Phoenix area, High ranks No. 55 nationally and is a mobile four man who has potential to stretch the floor as a shooter and a high ceiling for improvement.

“High took summer visits to Texas, Villanova, and Michigan while others like Arkansas are involved to a certain extent. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves and start labeling favorites, but word out of the Lone Star state is that North Carolina is going to have a very legitimate shot at landing High.”

High has already visited Villanova and Michigan and has additional offers from Arizona State, LSU, Texas Tech, Arkansas, Alabama and nearly a dozen other programs.

As it stands now, the Tar Heels look to be a legitimate option for High when he looks to end his recruitment.

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UNC top 2023 target TJ Power set to announce college decision

TJ Power, the top 2023 target for UNC basketball, is set to announce college decision this week.

The UNC basketball program’s top 2023 target, [autotag]TJ Power[/autotag], is set to announce his college decision.

Power will make his announcement on Wednesday, September 7th at 5:00 pm ET, according to Joe Tipton of On3.com.

Power has a final-5 of North Carolina, Duke, Virginia, Boston College and Iowa. The 6-foot-10 forward is ranked No. 24 in the 247Sports rankings.

The way UNC and head coach Hubert Davis used Brady Manek was a big selling point to Power throughout his recruiting process after the Tar Heels became involved.

“The way they can utilize skilled bigs stands out. He showed that last year with Brady Manek and this year they kind of planned to do the same thing. So that’s obviously super appealing for a place that historically. You know, there might not be a more historic place than UNC basketball.“

While that has been appealing to Power, there have been recent developments that may point to another school in North Carolina landing the talented forward.

In the last week, Duke has earned three 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions to land Power — two from Duke insiders and one from an Iowa insider.

Duke has always been a player in this recruitment, thanks to the ‘surreal’ moment that Power had when he received an offer from the Blue Devils.

If North Carolina misses on Power, it will surely go all-in on 2023 target [autotag]Zayden High[/autotag] who has an official visit later this month.

UNC has just one commitment in the class of 2023, with top-30 guard Simeon Wilcher.

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Simeon Wilcher ‘could have something to prove’ with new ranking

UNC basketball commit Simeon Wilcher ‘could have something to prove’ with new ranking, according to one national analyst.

The summer recruiting cycle has come and gone and as the fall recruiting period slowly begins to amp up, that means it is time for a rankings refresh.

The 247Sports class of 2023 rankings were updated last week and saw a big change for UNC’s lone 2023 commitment. [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] — who was a five-star guard — fell to No. 28 overall in the rankings.

Wilcher, who was previously No. 17 overall in the class, had not been lower than 20 since the 2023 class saw its initial rankings release.

247Sports analyst Brandon Jenkins took a look at some of the players who ‘could have something to prove’ with their new rankings, including Wilcher.

“Social media certainly had a strong reaction to North Carolina commit Simeon Wilcher sliding some in our most recent update. Obviously, Wilcher is still a very talented scorer with the ball in his hands and the 6-foot-4 combo guard played the end of the summer with an amped up level of energy. Keeping that end of summer energy up and valuing the ball on each possession will be the next step of his growth. Playing for one of the top teams in the country in Roselle (N.J.) Catholic will give him an opportunity to play in many big time events and if he carries over his momentum from the Peach Jam, Wilcher could be moving right back up.”

Wilcher suffered an ankle injury earlier in the summer that caused him to miss some time but he had started to play his best basketball of the summer late at Peach Jam. Through pool play of Peach Jam, Wilcher averaged 19.2 points, 5.2 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and shot 53.8 percent from the field for City Rocks AAU, He was also named MVP of Pool Play.

With the rankings drop, Wilcher is now the No. 7 combo guard and the No. 4 player in the state of New Jersey.

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UNC reaches out to 2023 four-star guard

One 2023 four-star guard has heard from the UNC basketball program after de-committing from Purdue.

Earlier this month, 2023 four-star guard [autotag]Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn[/autotag] re-opened his recruitment as he decommitted from Purdue and immediately became one of the top guards available in the class, including someone the UNC basketball program has reached out to.

Mid-season, Gibbs-Lawhorn transferred to Montverde Academy where he became a very valuable role player off of the bench.

According to Alex Karamanos of CircuitScouting.com, the Tar Heels have inquired about the four-star guard.

“I have heard from Texas, Virginia, Illinois, NC State, Memphis, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Kentucky, and Santa Barbara.”

He is a four-star guard ranked No. 58 in the 247Sports Composite rankings. He is a 6-foot-1 combo guard who really flashed his potential this summer playing for Indy Heat on the Nike EYBL Circuit. He had dealt with injuries over much of the past two years.

He averaged 16.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game this summer. He also shot 48 percent from the field and 38 percent from three.

The Tar Heels currently have just one committed player in the class of 2023 in five-star combo guard Simeon Wilcher.

Gibbs-Lawhorn previously described what he is looking for in his next school with 247Sports.

“I am looking for a school that will be in contact with my whole family,” Gibbs-Lawhorn said. “I want a school that is willing to recruit me to show me that they want me as a player and a human.”

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UNC commit Simeon Wilcher falls in latest 247Sports rankings

UNC basketball commit Simeon Wilcher fell in the latest 247Sports recruiting rankings released on Monday.

Guard [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] is the lone UNC basketball commit for the 2023 recruiting class as Hubert Davis and his staff are hoping to land a big class for the future.

Wilcher committed to UNC last Fall and has improved during his junior season, giving the Tar Heels a top 25 recruit. But in the recent updated 247Sports recruiting rankings, Wilcher fell 12 spots.

The site put out its updated rankings on Monday and Wilcher went from being ranked No. 17 to No. 28 in the update. Ouch.

Wilcher has improved since his commitment to North Carolina and even earned praise at the Peach Jam last month. It was a little odd to see him fall in general but 11 spots? That seems like a lot.

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard is now a four-star recruit that is ranked No. 28 overall, the No. 7 combo guard, and the No. 4 player in the state of New Jersey.

The good news for Wilcher is that there is plenty of time to improve his game between now and the final rankings. And it feels like Wilcher is someone who can use this as motivation.

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UNC commit Simeon Wilcher to play in Slam Summer Classic

Five-star UNC basketball commit Simeon Wilcher will play at Rucker Park in the annual SLAM Summer Classic.

A UNC basketball commit will get the chance to play at one of the most legendary streetball courts in all of the country.

Five-star guard [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] has been named to the 2022 SLAM Summer Classic to be held Saturday at New York’s Rucker Park. Wilcher is one of 16 boys players that will be split into two teams for the event. This will be the fourth year for the event as SLAM magazine has teamed up with the historic court to put on the game.

Take a look at the rosters for both the boy’s and girl’s games for Saturday:

Wilcher is North Carolina’s lone recruit that is committed to the 2023 class after G.G. Jackson decommitted last month. The guard has really elevated his game over the past few months with an impressive performance at the Peach Jam.

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Watch: Simeon Wilcher UA Next Elite 24 camp highlights

Highlights of UNC basketball guard commit Simeon Wilcher at the UA Next Elite 24 camp last week.

UNC basketball commit [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] competed in one of the top high school showcases over the weekend. He took part in the Under Armour Next Elite 24 camp that included an All-Star game at the end of the week.

The event showcased some of the top talent in high school basketball and took place in Chicago.

Wilcher was one of 24 players invited.

The 6-foot-5 combo guard came off of the bench in the ‘All-Star game’ at the end of the week and had two points, four rebounds and two assists on the night.

Below are highlights from scrimmages during the week and the exhibition game on Friday.

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2024 five-star point guard ‘definitely’ going to visit UNC

After receiving an offer in July, 2024 five-star point guard Elliot Cadeau says he’s ‘definitely’ visiting the UNC basketball program.

The UNC basketball program continues to be active in the class of 2024 and while still trying to close out its 2023 class with a bang, numerous rising juniors are scheduling visits to come to Chapel Hill.

Hubert Davis and his vision for the North Carolina offense got the attention of a lot of notable prospects this past season. Now, it’s paying off with future classes.

2024 five-star point guard [autotag]Elliot Cadeau[/autotag] received an offer from the Tar Heels during the final live evaluation period of July due to his play in front of the UNC staff at Peach Jam.

During Peach Jam, Cadeau averaged 10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. He also shot 52.5 percent from the floor and 53.3 percent from three. As he looks to scheduling visits, there is one program sticking out for him.

According to Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com, Cadeau says he is ‘definitely’ visiting North Carolina.

“I’m definitely going to visit UNC, but that’s the only one I know right now.”

Cadeau is ranked No. 7 in the 247Sports Composite rankings and is the top-ranked point guard in the 2024 class.

With UNC’s desire to play with two ball handlers and likely two point guards on the floor at all times, Cadeau sees the vision. It also doesn’t hurt when a current Tar Heels’ commit is in his ear.

North Carolina 2023 five-star commit Simeon Wilcher has been talking to Cadeau about coming to UNC. According to Zagoria, Wilcher and Cadeau talk ‘a lot’.

“He really likes it and he thinks I could fit their system.”

Cadeau transferred to Link Academy (MO) this summer and will play his junior year there this upcoming season. At this point, he has left the option open to potentially reclassify to the 2023 class. But, as of now he remains 2024.

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Top-ranked 2024 prospect ‘likely’ to visit North Carolina

Ian Jackson, the top-ranked 2024 prospect, is ‘likely’ to visit North Carolina among a few other programs, according to a report.

The UNC basketball program continues to be a team fighting it out for some of the top talent in the country during this recruiting cycle. And, that should be the same memo with one of the best players in the country regardless of class.

2024 five-star shooting guard [autotag]Ian Jackson[/autotag] is in the middle of planning out some of his junior year official visits and the Tar Heels are expected to receive a visit.

According to Rivals national analyst Travis Graf, Jackson is most likely to visit four schools at the moment.

The schools named were Kentucky, Oregon, North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas and Duke. Things could change, but as of now, it looks like the most likely four to get visits will be Kentucky, Oregon, North Carolina and UCLA, which would mean Kansas and Duke would be fighting to be that fifth and final destination.”

Jackson is the No. 1 ranked player in the Rivals rankings for the class of 2024. Jackson is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard who plays for Cardinal Hayes (NY) and New York Wiz Kids on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit.

Jackson is just one of a few players in the 2024 class that hold an offer from North Carolina.

While Jackson is currently in the 2024 class, reclassification has been a topic of discussion with the talented wing. While a decision about joining the 2023 class is a bit away, he did discuss that earlier this year.

“Yeah, that can be possible. I feel like I’d have a decision made by the end of my junior year, going into AAU. If I feel like I’m ready to reclass up and take the next step and go to college, I’ll make the decision then.”

North Carolina has just one committed player in the 2023 class after the de-commitment of No. 1 overall player GG Jackson. That commitment is from five-star combo guard Simeon Wilcher.

Regardless of class, Jackson is going to be a player that will make a big impact once he steps on a college campus.

While Kentucky has garnered most of the attention with Jackson up to this point, he has a long ways to go in his decision making process and once he gets on campus for official visits and has feedback on the programs he visits, it’s anyones guess as to who has a lead at the moment.

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