UNC Recruiting: Anthony Edwards goes off in front of Roy, and Isaiah Todd discusses his recruitment

The one thing that we can all count on during the holiday season is football news taking a little bit of a vacation, and basketball news picking up thanks to the tournaments that take place around Christmas time. This week is the John Wall Invitational in Raleigh, NC, and there have been a couple other tournaments that have taken place recently as well. Without further delay, let’s jump into this week’s recruiting update.

Football

All has been quiet in the world of UNC football recruiting this week, as the team just finished up with Signing Day. However, Inside Carolina got to speak with four-star quarterback Sam Howell’s head coach Tad Baucom at Sun Valley High School about Howell’s decision to sign with UNC:

“(UNC’s) staff is getting a game-changer and a program builder,” Baucom told Inside Carolina reporter John Bauman. “I think they know it and they understand it. He’s that guy that can come in and help turn things around. He brings everybody up to his level, if they are not already there. He’s great at blending people together to work for the good of the cause. It is going to be a great fit.”

Baucom was also asked about what led to Howell’s decision to sign with the Tar Heels instead of Florida State:

“Tradition. The proximity. Knowing a lot of people will come see him,” Baucom said. “I think he likes the fact that some guy’s he has played with in the last couple of years either in Cam Newton’s 7-on-7 or the Shrine Bowl or soon to be All-American Bowl --- it feels like family for him. It feels like a place he can go and be at home, be at ease, be relaxed, and concentrate on his education, and playing hard and playing fast.”

Howell will be a much-needed addition to a UNC team is just coming off of a horrendous season under Larry Fedora’s final year. Howell will have a chance to battle it out against Nathan Elliott, Jace Ruder, and Cade Fortin for a starting spot come next fall. However, now that the Heels are in the hands of Mack Brown, it could be that there is a lot less drama than we’ve experienced in recent years, which I’m sure is music to any fan’s ears.

Basketball

• As previously mentioned, the John Wall Invitational is underway in Raleigh. Wednesday night, 2020 verbal commit and four-star center Day’Ron Sharpe helped his team defeat Athens Drive 65-52. Sharpe finished the game with 16 points and 11 rebounds, despite spending most of the night being double and triple-teamed.
• Also in attendance at the invitational was five-star 2020 recruit Isaiah Todd. The Trinity Academy of Raleigh center spoke after his game Wednesday night about what he thinks about UNC, stating that he thinks the team is well coached, and that there is definitely a family atmosphere that he likes. Also, due to proximity, he has been able to attend a lot of games but claims that he does not have a favorite in his recruitment so far. You can watch the entirety of the interview here.
• Five-star shooting guard Anthony Edwards has earned an abundance of attention from Roy Williams and his staff ever since he reclassified from the 2020 class to 2019, so it wasn’t much of a surprise to find out that Roy Williams was in attendance with a member of his staff last night at the Chick-Fil-A Classic. Edwards put on a show for Williams, as he finished the game with 27 points. Right now it’s unclear what UNC’s chances are to land Edwards, and there is currently no official visit scheduled. However, if Roy can convince Edwards to commit and manage to also lock down Cole Anthony, the Heels would have a strong chance of finishing with one of the best recruiting classes in the country.
• Speaking of Cole Anthony, the five-star combo guard just finished up the City of Palms Classic, where his team (Oak Hill Academy) made it all the way to Friday night’s games before falling to Imhotep Charter (PA). Anthony finished with 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists in the loss, while every other player on his team struggled to get much going.

Flohoops.com wrote a piece about Anthony and his recruitment, and in the article a source that spoke with them stated that they would be “shocked” if Anthony decided not to pick UNC. That certainly seems to be the overall feel at this current stage of his recruitment, as there aren’t the usual big-name threats that stand in Roy’s way of locking down one of the best players in the country. Things could obviously go in any direction, but I’m sure Williams and his staff have to feel good about the progress they have been able to make so far.