This week has been a busy one in the world of college basketball recruiting and the North Carolina Tar Heels have been involved.
After Duke received good news that Kyle Filipowski was returning for another year, they lost a commitment from five-star recruit Mackenzie Mgbako who opted to re-open his recruitment and explore other options.
As soon as that happened, North Carolina was mentioned as a potential suitor as they have roster spots open and also have a commitment from Mgbako’s teammate Simeon Wilcher. While North Carolina hasn’t fully been ruled out, they don’t appear to be a serious contender just yet.
Travis Branham of 247Sports spoke on Mgbako’s recruitment on the 247Sports’ College Basketball Recruiting Weekly podcast and he revealed that every team is reaching out but the Tar Heels aren’t a primary option just yet.
“Another team we have been hearing a little buzz on is an interesting one, and that is the North Carolina Tar Heels,” Branham said via Inside Carolina. “Could he end up flipping over to Duke’s arch-rival? Possibly. There’s still a whole lot to play out.”
Mgbako is also a contender to bypass college altogether and spend the 2023-24 season in the NBA G League, according to Branham.
“I wouldn’t say UNC is a primary option,” Branham said. “The two I am looking at right now are Louisville and the pro route. It would not surprise me at all [if he chose the pro route].”
It does sound like the pro route and Louisville are the two primary options for Mgbako. UNC getting involved seems like a no-brainer in terms of just reaching out and taking a temperature on things in the recruitment.
But unless something changes, we probably won’t see much in terms of the Tar Heels in this recruitment.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdcv0v20j1dne5g player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.