Sports
Tar Heel Recruiting Class Slides Again in National Ranking – Sports Illustrated
UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis (Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports)
The 2024 UNC basketball recruiting class didn’t suffer a “loss” recently, nor did any of its three members drop in the individual rankings. But the Tar Heels, who once held the top-ranked haul in the cycle before current rookie guard Elliot Cadeau reclassified, have slid to fifth in the national class ranking, per 247Sports.
Their most recent two-spot fall results from additions by Kentucky and Texas.
Kentucky, now up to four 2024 pieces, landed a commitment from five-star center Jayden Quaintance on Tuesday. His addition bumped the Wildcats to second in the country, below only Duke’s five-deep class.
Then, on Wednesday, Texas snagged a pledge from five-star guard Tre Johnson, giving the Longhorns their third top-50 recruit in the cycle and allowing them to edge out the Tar Heels slightly in the ranking.
UNC basketball’s collection appears complete. It includes Northwood High School (N.C.) five-star forward Drake Powell, ninth on the 247Sports 2024 Composite; Our Saviour Lutheran (N.Y.) five-star guard Ian Jackson, 10th in the class; and Link Academy (Mo.) four-star center James Brown, 68th overall.
All three future Tar Heels inked their national letter of intent last week during the early signing period.
Considering only a handful of the top-100 preps in the cycle remain undecided, fifth may be as far as the Tar Heels will drop.
Meanwhile, UNC basketball head coach Davis and his crew are pursuing nine 2025 targets and have yet to land their first commitment from those current high school juniors.
Stay tuned to All Tar Heels on SI.com for more UNC basketball recruiting news.
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