Tag: unc basketball recruiting

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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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 pays class of 2026 5-star recruit a recent visit

UNC visited Class of 2026 5-star power forward Miikka Muurinen in the past week. Power forward is a massive need for the Tar Heels in two seasons.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have never shied away from a basketball recruiting challenge, even when it means other Blue Bloods are chasing the same recruit.

UNC’s efforts on the recruiting trail have paid major dividends recently. North Carolina brought in a pair of electric 5-star freshmen, Drake Powell and Ian Jackson, to its current roster. The Tar Heels recently landed their first Class of 2025 commitment, snagging 4-star combo guard Derek Dixon.

UNC is already getting a headstart on the 2026 recruiting trail – and that includes a recent visit to see 5-star power forward Miikka Muurinen, the 6’10” Finnish phenom who plays his prep ball for Compass Prep in Chandler, Ariz.

According to Tar Heel Times, Muurinen is one of North Carolina’s seven Class of 2026 offers.

The Tar Heels have also offered 5-star power forward Tyran Stokes, 5-star small forwards Cameron Holmes, Caleb Holt and Cole Cloer, 5-star shooting guard Jordan Smith and 4-star power forward Kendre Harrison.

Looking ahead at UNC’s roster over the next two season, Muurinen is a massive need.

Tyzhaun Claude and Jae’Lyn Withers, both power forwards who can play at center if needed, are entering their final season of college basketball. Ven-Allen Lubin and Jalen Washington, both centers who can also play the four if needed, are juniors and will be gone in two years.

Sure, North Carolina can nab a big man or two in the transfer portal, but there wasn’t much luck with that this past offseason. The Tar Heels were linked to several top-line transfers, most notably Oumar Ballo and Coleman Hawkins, but both chose other destinations.

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Indiana coach Mike Woodson visiting one of UNC’s top targets

Braylon Mullins, a UNC basketball recruiting target and one of the Class of 2025’s top players, is getting a timely visit from one of his three finalists.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are extremely close to landing their first 5-star basketball recruit in the Class of 2025, with shooting guard Braylon Mullins naming UNC one of his three finalists.

Mullins is deciding between North Carolina, back-to-back National Champion UConn, and Indiana, which has five NCAA Titles under its name. As you can imagine, each program is throwing everything it has in trying to land the talented guard.

Today, it’s Indiana’s turn to try its hand at landing Mullins, with head coach Mike Woodson visiting the in-state guard.

The visit is key as it’s likely the last for Mullins as he mulls a decision soon via Peegs.com:

There is a strong chance Indiana’s Tuesday visit is the final in-home visit for Mullins. He plans to give himself some time to take a breath, think things over, talk things over with his family and then figure out his decision. He would like to have a decision made in October.

If the Hoosiers are successful, Mullins would be their second Class of 2025 commitment behind Trent Sisley.

With RJ Davis exhausting his eligibility after this coming season, plus possibly the Ian Jackson-Drake Powell duo leaving for the NBA, North Carolina’s need to land Mullins is paramount. Seth Trimble will likely return, but Elliot Cadeau has also expressed interest in turning pro early.

If the Tar Heels are able to add Mullins, they’d be getting an extreme scoring punch. Mullins averaged 25 points per game as a junior for Greenfield-Central High School last season, his highest season career average, leading his team to a state championship appearance.

With Mullins previously citing he wants to make a decision this month, let’s hope that decision in UNC.

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Five-star shooting guard says UNC is ‘heavily’ involved still

Braylon Mullins talked about the teams heavily involved in his recruitment.

The recruitment for five-star shooting guard Braylon Mullins is starting to heat up as the UNC basketball program is still seeking its first commitment in the 2025 class.

The Tar Heels are in pursuit of a handful of recruits, hosting visits during fall as they are trying to impress players. One recruit that recently visited UNC was Mullins and it looks like his recruitment is starting to pick up some more.

The Indiana native then canceled a visit to Duke, essentially eliminating UNC’s rival from the recruitment. But are the Tar Heels in a good position in this recruitment?

Mullins checked in with Stockrisers on Monday to discuss his recruitment and the teams involved. Here is what he said about the teams that are ‘heavily’ involved:

Which schools remain heavily involved?

“North Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and UConn.”

Have any new schools tried to get involved here lately, or those are the main ones right now?

“Those are the main ones, and probably what I will keep around.”

In addition to saying that, he also dished on his visit to UNC where he told Stockrisers about his experience:

How was your North Carolina visit, and what is Coach Davis pitching to you?

“It was good. I loved the campus and coaching staff. Coach Davis loves the way I fit into his offense. Also pitched that I can play and work for a starting spot as a freshman.”

Right now, it’s tough to tell where UNC stands in this recruitment but it does feel like in-state Indiana is the team to beat. Did UNC do enough to make a statement in this recruitment? Let’s hope so.

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UNC basketball program visits 2027 center

The UNC basketball program visited a big 2027 recruit in California this week.

Hubert Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels were in California to see a big 2025 recruiting target Niko Bundalo at Prolific Prep. But that’s not the only prospect they had their eyes on out there.

Class of 2027 center Obinna Ekezie Jr. told HS Top Recruiting on X that he has heard from some big programs in his recruitment over the week. North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, and UCLA have been in to see him via the X account as early interest starts to pour in for him.

The 7-foot, 220-pound center has a long ways to go in his recruitment but drawing some interest from some big programs already is a good sign.

https://twitter.com/HSTopRecruiting/status/1834374561258668190

For North Carolina, it makes sense to check in on the prospect despite it being so early. North Carolina was involved in Darryn Peterson’s recruitment and is currently involved in Bundalo’s as well. So being out there, it doesn’t hurt to check in on a future prospect either.

There are no rankings out for the 2027 class yet, but the talented Ekezie Jr. should be among the top players in the class as the process goes on.

North Carolina is still seeking its first commitment in the 2025 or 2026 classes as the work continues for Davis and his staff.

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Five-star 2026 basketball recruit has plans to visit North Carolina

A big five-star UNC basketball recruiting target in 2026 will be on campus for an unofficial visit.

Things have been slow on the recruiting front for Hubert Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels, still seeking a commitment in the 2025 class. As they get set for official visits with prospects this fall, things will heat up a bit and hopefully lead to a commitment down the line.

But they will also get a look at some prospects in the 2026 class with unofficial visits.

On Tuesday, five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. told HS Top Recruits on X that he has set an unofficial visit to North Carolina on the weekend of October 5th, staying until the next day.

https://twitter.com/HSTopRecruiting/status/1831104672867783045

That’s big news for North Carolina as they continue to build the recruiting board for the 2026 class. UNC has already offered the talented shooting guard and getting an early unofficial visit is good news.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Smith Jr. is ranked No. 8 nationally and the No. 2 shooting guard in the 2026 class by 247Sports. He’s a Virginia native who plays at Paul VI Catholic, a hotbed for talent lately that UNC’s rival Duke has found success in with recruiting.

Smith Jr. has a total of 16 offers including from the Blue Devils, a program that will also likely make him a priority as his recruitment goes on.

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UNC 4-star football recruiting target chooses Virginia Tech over the weekend

A UNC dual-sport recruiting target chose Virginia Tech over the weekend. This doesn’t affect the Tar Heels as much as you may think.

It’s not uncommon to see student-athletes play multiple sports in high school, but it’s rare to see the same in college.

The North Carolina Tar Heels were lucky to have a legendary 2-sport athlete in Julius Peppers, the Pro Football Hall of Famer who played both football and basketball. UNC currently has Kaleb Cost, who’s a defensive back on the football squad and outfielder for the baseball program.

North Carolina was also linked to another 2-sport athlete in the class of 2025, Shamarius Peterkin, the 6’2″ wide receiver who plays basketball and football for Mount Tabor High School in Winston-Salem, NC.

Peterkin listed the Tar Heels, NC State and Virginia Tech as his three recruiting finalists. Peterkin also made a decision over the weekend – and sadly, it doesn’t include UNC.

On Friday, Aug. 16, Peterkin committed to the Hokies in the recruiting portal. This came as a surprise to many, who thought Peterkin would stay in-state for his next chapter.

North Carolina’s men’s basketball program wasn’t going to allow Peterkin to play both basketball and football, but Virginia Tech was, a major factor into his decision.

Peterkin’s out-of-state commitment isn’t a huge loss for North Carolina, who already has 14 Class of 2025 commits, including one from 3-star wide receiver Evan Haynes. If Peterkin had committed to UNC, though, he’d mark the Tar Heels’ fourth 4-star commit.

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