North Carolina Tar Heels

UNC Recruiting Roundup 10/12: Updates on basketball, football programs

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Mar 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams reacts in a semifinal game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Keeping It Heel is back with the latest in UNC recruiting regarding both the basketball and football programs

With the start of basketball season just around the corner and preseason festivities getting underway, recruiting on the hardwood is beginning to heat up.

The University of North Carolina will see its share of visitors over the next several weeks, including those who attend the school’s annual “Late Night With Roy” event.

The event, which marks the start of basketball season in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, centers around a friendly scrimmage and skits put on by the coaches and players.

Former UNC basketball player and football standout Jesse Holley will host this year’s event. Last year it was hosted by former Tar Heels shooting guard Bobby Frasor.

Before Frasor, it was hosted annually by legendary ESPN personality and UNC alum Stuart Scott.

Check back with Keeping It Heel, as we continue tracking all the latest news and information on UNC recruiting.

Five-star recruit sets official visit to UNC for Late Night With Roy

Five-star power forward Jared Vanderbilt will take an official visit to the University of North Carolina to attend “Late Night With Roy”.

The annual event held on the UNC campus is known to bring in a number of big-time recruits each season, often working as the determining factor in a prospect’s decision.

That is precisely what the Tar Heels coaching staff will be hoping for with the 6-foot-8, 200-pound Vanderbilt. A consensus five-star player in the class of 2017, Vanderbilt would give the Tar Heels the size and star power that they are looking for in next year’s freshman class.

Already committed to UNC from the class of 2017 is point guard Jalek Felton, shooting guard Andrew Platek and power forward Brandon Huffman.

A commitment from Vanderbilt would inevitably move the Tar Heels’ 2017 class ranking into the top-10.

Vanderbilt currently has offers from a number of other schools including Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, Oregon and Texas. He has dates set to visit Arizona and Texas within the next month and plans to visit Kentucky shortly after. He’ll take his final official visit to either Kansas or Oregon.

Five-star power forward Zion Williamson to visit UNC

Class of 2018 prospect Zion Williamson doesn’t meet the Tar Heels’ immediate needs for big men, but he might be their top overall target.

Williamson is a 6-foot-7, 220-pound power forward out of Spartanburg, South Carolina that burst onto the scene in the spring of 2016. He’s since gained the attention of nearly every major program, picking up offers from Arizona, Clemson, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, UCLA and Virginia among others.

The UNC coaching staff checked in on Williamson in early September, showing their interest in the talented 2018 big man. And this weekend, he will be in Chapel Hill to watch Late Night With Roy.

Williamson has a solid frame with a nice wingspan. He’s a terrific athlete and has a great motor on both ends of the court.

Offensively, he’s not afraid to play inside or out. He’ll drive into the lane, create contact and finish at the rim. He’s a good rebounder and can compete against bigger players due to his size, strength and athleticism.

As a defender, he’s got a quick first step that helps him stay in front of his opponent. He’s good at coming up with the rebound or loose ball and then getting out in transition.

Regardless of what happens in the current recruiting cycle, Williamson will remain a high-priority target for the Tar Heels until he makes his final decision.

2017 power forward Sterling Manley to attend Late Night With Roy

Class of 2017 prospect Sterling Manley has quickly become one of North Carolina’s top targets.

It all started a few weeks ago when assistant coach Steve Robinson took a trip to Central Ohio to watch Manley play. Then came the scholarship offer from Roy Williams less than a week later. And it’s now been announced that Manley plans to attend UNC’s annual “Late Night With Roy” event that’s held at the Dean Smith Center.

Manley, a 6-foot-11, 230-pound power forward holds offers from a number of schools, but recently cut his list to just four. He’s currently deciding between North Carolina, Purdue, West Virginia and Xavier.

The addition of Manley would benefit the Tar Heels in a number of ways.

Manley is likely a four-year player who would provide stability and continuity to the program for years to come. He also helps give them depth in a front court that inevitably loses Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks after this season. More than anything, it’s his size that the Tar Heels desperately need.

At 6’11”, Manley would automatically be the tallest player on the UNC roster. Given the current make-up of the Tar Heels, there’s a good chance that Manley would get some playing time right away next season.

It seems like a good sign for UNC that Manley is going to be on campus even though that Tar Heels’ interest in him spiked only a few weeks ago.

Elite 2016 small forward Kevin Knox evaluating UNC

Throughout the recruitment of Kevin Knox, the Tar Heels have made it no secret that he’s their top target in the class of 2017.

The elite small forward was tabbed by UNC as a player that could come in and immediately help fill a need for the Tar Heels.

Working with the assumption that current UNC small forward Justin Jackson leaves after his junior season, the Tar Heels will need a skilled player to step into the role and flourish. The Heels believe that player is Knox.

“Basically when I go in I’m not going to have anyone at my position because Justin Jackson is probably going to leave after this year, so I can step in and contribute early,” Knox told Scout. “They have a lot of good guys, Joel Berry, Tony Bradley and Kennedy Meeks, they are going to be good this year. I’d be able to step in and contribute early so that’s basically what his message has been to me.”

Knox went on to say that he would be keeping an eye on Jackson and how the Tar Heels’ coaching staff utilizes him this season. “I’m going to watch his game closely,” Knox said. “That’s something that I’ll look at.”

Knox eliminated all but four teams when he announced that his finalists were Duke, Florida State, Kentucky and North Carolina.

He will visit Duke in late October for the first of his four official visits before taking trips to Florida State and Kentucky after the early signing period.

The last of Knox’s four official visits will be to UNC in early February.

Knox is a consensus top 10 recruit and one of the elite small forwards in the 2017 class. Current projections have Knox choosing Duke in a landslide over Kentucky and North Carolina.

Oct 23, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Late Night with Roy Williams at Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Full guest list for Late Night With Roy

Late Night With Roy will host a number of guests this weekend, including a handful of recruits from the 2017 and 2018 classes. Some have already committed and others are taking official visits to help inch them closer to their final decisions.

Here is the list of confirmed players who will be on hand for Late Night With Roy:

Check back with Keeping It Heel for more recruiting news and updates as we move closer to the start of the 2016-2017 NCAA basketball season.

Despite disastrous weather and game, Jalen Holston’s UNC visit went well

Last week, Keeping It Heel highlighted UNC’s recruitment of four-star running back Jalen Holston before his trip to Chapel Hill for the Tar Heels’ football game against Virginia Tech.

As recently as last week, the Tar Heels were considered a slight underdog to Virginia Tech in the recruitment of Holston. Despite Saturday’s inclement weather and lopsided football game, UNC appears to have gained some ground with the 5’11’’, 200-pound running back.

Holston spent the weekend with several other UNC recruits, most of which have already committed to the Tar Heels. Michael Carter, Jake Lawler and others did their best to sway Holton’s upcoming decision.

The Stockbridge, Georgia native has become one of the Tar Heels’ top priorities in the class of 2017.

Before making a decision, Holston plans to visit the Virginia Tech campus on the weekend of November 26th when the Hokies face off against in-state rival Virginia.

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