Tag: Simeon Wilcher

Analyst says GG Jackson situation needs to be ‘monitored closely’

247Sports analyst Eric Bossi believes the top storyline of July is the GG Jackson situation and the rumors that continue to follow him.

The [autotag]GG Jackson[/autotag] rumors have been flying over the last week. Whether it’s a rumor about a decommitment from UNC and going elsewhere in college or eyeing the professional route, there has been a lot of smoke.

Jackson, who committed to North Carolina in April, has been very open about shutting down the recent rumors. But, because he’s the No. 1 prospect in the country, the rumors keep coming.

So, as we enter the July live period and one of the busiest months of the recruiting calendar, the Jackson storyline is the biggest to follow says 247Sports national recruiting director Eric Bossi.

“So, who is the most likely to make a change or be heavily pursued by professional leagues? The obvious answer here is 2023’s current No. 1 player GG Jackson,” Bossi said. “The forward from South Carolina is committed to North Carolina and has been mostly ignoring media requests to clarify if he’s looking to do anything other than go to high school next year, but it would be foolish to believe something different can’t happen. During June the athletic 6-foot-9 four man cemented his status as 2023’s top player and given that he could be draft-eligible in 2023 if he were to join up with, say, the G League is something that has to be taken seriously. Jackson is the obvious target for any league with some money to throw around – and sources have confirmed to 247Sports that they are chasing — and because he’s progressed quicker than expected, there are certainly agents of change working to get him and his family to see alternative routes. Maybe we’ll learn something new, maybe we won’t. Maybe denials of any change in plans will prove to be true. But the situation is one that needs to be monitored closely.”

Jackson’s impressive spring and summer has surely put the recruiting world on notice even more than before. The talented forward has been a standout at multiple events, most recently named the MVP of the NBPA Top 100 Camp last week.

Hubert Davis and UNC currently hold two commits in the 2023 class with Jackson and five-star point guard Simeon Wilcher.

The Tar Heels still have a hold on the No. 2 overall recruiting class in 2023 behind arch-rival Duke.

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2023 UNC basketball commit Simeon Wilcher invited to NBPA Top 100 Camp

2023 UNC basketball commit Simeon Wilcher was invited to the NBPA Top 100 Camp taking place this week.

UNC basketball 2023 commit [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] was named as one of the participants to the NBPA Top 100 Camp taking place this week.

The Top 100 camp is regarded as one of the premier basketball camps in the country. The top talent around the country is selected in an invitation process to attend.

The camp, while focusing a large majority around on the court activities, also deals with real-life issues and topics to help develop the player for off of the court life.

Wilcher averaged 16.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game as a junior for Roselle Catholic (NJ) last season. He had 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the State Title game.

Wilcher is currently ranked No. 14 in the 247Sports composite rankings. He also ranks as the No. 2 combo guard in the 2023 class.

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Top UNC target set to announce recruiting decision

UNC basketball five-star target Matas Buzelis is set to announce his decision this week as his recruitment comes to an end.

The race for prized five-star recruit Matas Buzelis is coming to an end sooner than we thought it would.

On Wednesday, Buzelis posted to his Instagram account that he is set to announce his decision very early Friday morning. The recruit put a countdown that ends at 12:01 a.m. on Friday AM.

With Buzelis set to make his decision, he will choose between UNC, Kentucky, Florida State, Wake Forest and the G-League. However, it appears as if the G-League is trending for his destination.

Travis Branham of 247Sports logged his Crystal Ball prediction for Buzelis skipping college and going pro recently, and with his decision coming so quick it makes a lot of sense.

If UNC does indeed lose out on the recruit, it will allow them to focus on other 2023 recruiting targets.

As of now, UNC has [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] and [autotag]G.G. Jackson[/autotag] committed for their class as both are five-star recruits. But landing another five-star or even two recruits would be huge for Hubert Davis and his staff.

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Clear leader emerging for five-star wing Matas Buzelis?

Matas Buzelis is a key UNC basketball target in the 2023 class and there is now a clear leader for the five-star wing.

The UNC basketball program already holds two commitments for the class of 2023, both from five-star prospects. Could another five-star be joining them soon?

The Tar Heels have been very active in pursuing five-star wing [autotag]Matas Buzelis[/autotag]. Even both commits GG Jackson and Simeon Wilcher have been vocal about their desire to get him to Chapel Hill.

Buzelis recently announced a final list of UNC, Kentucky, Wake Forest, Florida State and a professional route with G-League Ignite.

However, there is a key Crystal Ball prediction in for Buzelis to go the professional route from 247Sports national recruiting analyst Travis Branham.

Buzelis recently broke down UNC’s recruitment of him.

“(Hubert Davis) message is that they want me. I talk to (Simeon Wilcher, GG Jackson) maybe once a week and they say that they want me.”

Buzelis is a 6-foot-9 wing ranked No. 7 in the 247Sports class of 2023 rankings.

Time will tell, but it is clear that the G-League is a real option for Buzelis and could be the clear favorite for the five-star prospect.

The Tar Heels already hold the No. 2 overall recruiting class in both Rivals and 247Sports team rankings for 2023, so landing a commitment from Buzelis would surely give the Heels the top-rated class.

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GG Jackson holds top spot in updated Rivals150 rankings

UNC basketball 2023 commit GG Jackson holds top spot in updated Rivals150 rankings despite a strong group of prospects in the mix.

UNC basketball commit [autotag]GG Jackson[/autotag] held on to the No. 1 overall spot in the class of 2023 following the Rivals rankings refresh last week.

Jackson, who committed to the Tar Heels back in April, held off players like Xavier Booker and DJ Wagner for the top spot.

The race for the top spot was a major talking point for Rivals analyst Rob Cassidy as he broke down what went into the top three spots.

No. 1 overall prospect GG Jackson managed to hold on to the top spot in the Rivals150 update, but his grip on the position is certainly loosening a bit. The two major threats to unseat the North Carolina commit are former No. 1 DJ Wagner (Kentucky or Louisville) and red-hot forward Xavier Booker (Michigan State or Duke). Wagner’s battle is with consistency and long-term upside, while Booker’s relatively small sample size of greatness is what kept him from seizing the top spot this time around.

There’s almost nothing to separate the trio at the top of the rankings, and a case could be made for any of the three as the top player in America in the 2023 class. What takes place this summer and into the early fall will likely have a massive effect on how things shake out.

Hubert Davis and UNC currently hold two commits in the 2023 class with Jackson and five-star point guard [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag].

The Tar Heels still have a hold on the No. 2 overall recruiting class in 2023 behind arch-rival Duke.

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UNC showing interest in four-star 2023 center

Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program are showing interest in a four-star center out of California in the 2023 class per a new report.

With two commitments in the 2023 class, Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball staff are off to a great start for that recruiting cycle. The commitments of five-star recruits [autotag]G.G. Jackson[/autotag] and [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] are setting a foundation for the class as UNC has their eyes on a few other prospects in 2023.

And now they have added a new name to their recruiting board.

Four-star center [autotag]Jazz Gardner[/autotag] is the latest prospect to draw interest from the Tar Heels according to a report. The Hacienda Heights, California native is hearing from UNC in his recruitment according to Andrew Slater of Pro Insight:

Gardner has a total of 14 offers in his recruitment so far, drawing interest from Illinois, USC, Saint Mary’s, Arizona State, Houston and Texas Tech among others. But while UNC has yet to offer, showing interest is the first step and is something to monitor down the stretch.

We do know that the Tar Heels are heavily pursuing Matas Buzelis but will have a need at center when Armando Bacot leaves after this year. Could Gardner and Jalen Washington be the new post duo for the Tar Heels?

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Top 10 2023 prospect includes UNC in his final five

2023 five-star prospect Matas Buzelis named his top-5 programs and the UNC basketball program made the list.

A key target for UNC basketball has listed his top-5 schools and included the Tar Heels in the list. 2023 five-star forward[autotag]Matas Buzelis[/autotag] announced his list on Thursday that surely made UNC coaches and fans happy.

His list includes UNC, Kentucky, Florida State, Wake Forest and G-League Ignite.

Buzelis has exploded on the recruiting scene this spring and continues to be a focal point for many top programs around the country. The 6-foot-9, 175-pound small forward out of New Hampshire is a top 10 prospect in that 2023 class.

Buzelis dished on his finalists with On3.com, and made it known that the Tar Heels have many people active in trying to get him to Chapel Hill.

“I just talk to some of their commits, Simeon Wilcher and GG Jackson, most of the time. But I talk with pretty much every coach on staff, Coach Hubert (Davis) a lot. They played great in the tournament, everyone thought they would be a no show, but they played fast and loose and made plays.”

Both UNC basketball 2023 commits [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] and [autotag]G.G. Jackson[/autotag] have made it known that they want Buzelis.

That pitch resonates with Buzelis, who also thinks he can play well alongside Jackson in the front court.

“UNC has been on me consistently. I think GG (Jackson) and I would fit really well beside one another. We’re both big wings; I can get it to him, and he can shoot it. We can both run the floor and handle and shoot.”

It has been long perceived as a Kentucky vs UNC matchup for the top-10 wing and it looks like those two will square off for another high-profile prospect once again.

The Tar Heels already hold the No. 2 overall recruiting class in both Rivals and 247Sports team rankings for 2023, so landing a commitment from Buzelis would surely give the Heels the top-rated class.

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Highly coveted 2023 five-star wing dishes on UNC, recruitment

A key 2023 target for the UNC basketball program continues to discuss the Tar Heels in a good light.

While the UNC basketball class of 2023 has its two foundation pieces with five-star forward [autotag]GG Jackson[/autotag] and combo guard [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag], the Heels are still very active in the recruitment of another top five-star prospect.

[autotag]Matas Buzelis[/autotag] has exploded on the recruiting scene this spring and continues to be a focal point for many top programs around the country. The 6-foot-9, 175-pound small forward out of New Hampshire is a top 10 prospect in that 2023 class and has 13 offers with programs like UNC, Kentucky and Florida State in pursuit of him.

One thing that UNC has going for them are the two current commits as both are actively recruiting the five-star to join them in Chapel Hill.
Buzelis caught up with 247Sports national recruiting analyst Eric Bossi to discuss some of the key programs involved.

“(Hubert Davis) message is that they want me,” Buzelis said of UNC. “I talk to (Simeon Wilcher, GG Jackson) maybe once a week and they say that they want me.”

The Tar Heels will be losing a lot from its roster this season for the 2023-24 year, so reloading with five-star talent and players who can make an impact immediately is important.

Buzelis is someone who can play as a point-forward on the floor with the ball in his hands and allow guys like Wilcher and Jackson to play off of him.

“I think I can bring versatility with how I am able to handle the ball. I can really get everybody involved and I’m big with playmaking ability. I can get to the basket pretty easy; I can get people involved and I can shoot.”

As of right now, the talented wing isn’t focusing on taking any visits until closer to the end of the summer. The Tar Heels continue to be in the lead group for Buzelis, but time will tell if the outward recruitment from its current commits help tip the scale towards UNC.

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Five-star target reveals UNC’s ‘consistent’ pursuit of him

Five-star recruiting target Matas Buzelis talks about the consistent pursuit from the UNC Basketball program in his recruitment.

With tow five-star commits already signed in the 2023 class for North Carolina, head coach Hubert Davis and his staff are aiming to land a third and complete their class.

And the prospect that sits atop their recruiting board is [autotag]Matas Buzelis[/autotag].

The 6-foot-9, 175-pound small forward is a Chicago native that is currently playing at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. He’s ranked as the No. 7 player in the 247Sports rankings and has 13 offers so far. Kentucky, Wake Forest, and Florida State are all involved and have received visits, but North Carolina is starting to make a strong push as well.

On3 recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw caught up with Buzelis and he had this to say about UNC’s consistent pursuit of him:

“No one really new has come in lately,” Buzelis said. “UNC has been on me consistently.”

UNC: “I just talked to some of their commits, Simeon Wilcher and GG Jackson, most of the time. But I talk with pretty much every coach on staff, Coach Hubert (Davis) a lot. They played great in the tournament, everyone thought they would be a no show, but they played fast and loose and made plays.”

Both [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] and [autotag]G.G. Jackson[/autotag] have made it known that they are actively recruiting Buzelis to UNC as well.

Landing this trio of talent would make for an even brighter future in Chapel Hill for the Tar Heels.

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Where UNC five-star target ranks in updated rankings

We take a look at where top UNC basketball target Matas Buzelis ranks in updated 247Sports rankings.

As we push on for the Summer, recruiting will take center stage in college basketball. The UNC basketball program already has a great start to the 2023 class with five-star recruits [autotag]G.G. Jackson[/autotag] and [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] already committed.

But Hubert Davis and his staff aren’t done just yet.

The top target left on UNC’s big board is five-star prospect [autotag]Matas Buzelis[/autotag] out of New Hampshire. Buzelis is a small forward that has a total of 13 offers in his recruitment with UNC, Duke, and Kentucky among others.

Earlier this week, 247Sports released their updated rankings for the class and while Buzelis dropped a few spots, he’s still a top 10 prospect. The site has him ranked No. 7 overall in the class, the No. 3 small forward and No. 1 player in his state.

It’s tough to tell where things stand in his recruitment right now but both Wilcher and Jackson are actively recruiting him. However, one analyst believes Kentucky is the team to beat.

The good news is that there is a long ways to go in this recruitment and UNC figures to be in it until the end.

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