UNC Recruiting: Multiple recruits make moves in updated rankings

On Wednesday, 247 Sports released their updated basketball recruiting rankings for the class of 2019. There was some movement with UNC’s two commitments and many of their standing offers. Below is a quick update of which main UNC recruit rose or fell in the newest rankings. As with our recent in-depth look at the 2019 recruits, we do not include James Wiseman or Vernon Carey, as they are not expected to be serious candidates to pick UNC.

Current Commitments

Jeremiah Francis
Point Guard
6-3, 190

Previous 247 Ranking: 52nd (126th Composite)
New 247 Ranking: 109th (147th Composite)

This slide is directly related to Francis’ absence from the court over the past year. By the time he gets to UNC he’ll have missed approximately 18 months of action due to two knee surgeries. As long as he can get healthy, Francis may turn out to be the steal of the recruiting class.

Armando Bacot
Center
6-10, 240

Previous 247 Sports Ranking: 34th (26th Composite)
New 247 Sports Ranking: 29th (23rd Composite)

Bacot rode a strong summer to re-enter the top 25 in 247 Sports’ Composite rankings. He also popped into 247 Sports’ organic top 30. Bacot has seen his rankings consistently slide up and down over the past year, but appears to be on an upswing. It should also be noted that 247 Sports has him ranked lower than most other services.

Current Offers

Cole Anthony
Point Guard
6-3, 185

Previous 247 Sports Ranking: 2nd (3rd Composite)
New 247 Sports Ranking: 2nd (3rd Composite)

No change here. Anthony remains the best perimeter player in the country, only trailing James Wiseman in 247’s rankings.

Tre Mann
Point Guard
6’4, 170

Previous 247 Sports Ranking: 31st (33rd Composite)
New 247 Sports Ranking: 23rd (28th Composite)

Mann was expected to make a leap, and those expectations were met. He jumped into the top 25 and is now a five-star recruit, per 247. As the other services update their rankings in the coming months, it will not be a surprise if Mann becomes a consensus five-star, top-25 recruit.

Josh Green
Shooting Guard/Small Forward
6-6, 190

Previous 247 Sports Ranking: 20th (11th Composite)
New 247 Sports Ranking: 15th (9th Composite)

Another UNC prospect that saw a rise in the rankings. Once a recruit is in the top 20, it’s difficult to keep finding room to improve. Green is challenging that notion, as he begins the new school year at 15th. As with Bacot, 247 Sports’ rankings are slightly lower than other recruiting services.

Wendell Moore
Small Forward
6-5, 210

Previous 247 Sports Ranking: 17th (21st Composite)
New 247 Sports Ranking: 27th (24st Composite)

Surprisingly, Moore took one of the more significant tumbles of the summer. Still a five-star, top-30 recruit, he remains an attractive in-state option. He will attend Late Night With Roy for his official visit to UNC.

Keion Brooks
Small Forward
6-7, 186

Previous 247 Sports Ranking: 9th (15th Composite)
New 247 Sports Ranking: 12th (16th Composite)

Brooks also saw a slight drop, but this is likely attributed to an injury. Sidelined for the second half of the evaluation period, he was unable to finish off what had been a string of solid summer performances.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
Power Forward
6-8, 235

Previous 247 Sports Ranking: 18th (18th Composite)
New 247 Sports Ranking: 18th (17th Composite)

Robinson-Earl stayed put. Firmly entrenched in the top 20, he remains one of UNC’s top targets for 2019. That didn’t change after the summer evaluation period.

Matthew Hurt
Power Forward
6-9, 215

Previous 247 Sports Ranking: 7th (6th Composite)
New 247 Sports Ranking: 8th (6th Composite)

Hurt, like Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, is a priority for UNC at the power forward position. A slight one spot drop is nothing to be concerned about. Hurt is firmly locked into the top 10.

Will Baker
Center
7-0, 236

Previous 247 Sports Ranking: 28th (25th Composite)
New 247 Sports Ranking: 28th (25th Composite)

Baker was another recruit who maintained his position. However, with Bacot recently committing to UNC, it’s hard to imagine this courtship to continue with any legitimate interest. With so much depth in the low-post, expect the coaching staff to increase their focus on the power forward and perimeter.

There is one major takeaway from these rankings. As everyone’s senior season approaches, UNC has locked in on eight remaining recruits. Every single one of those recruits now have a five-star rating from at least one recruiting service and are ranked inside the top 30 of 247 Sports’ composite rankings. (Their composite rankings are formed by some magic formula involving unicorns, fairy dust, and rankings from ESPN and Rivals).

That development should cause fans to sit a little closer to the edge of their seats. It should also serve notice to UNC’s opponents. This is clearly a different vibe from the past four years, when only one (or zero) top-25 recruit trickled into UNC per season. Even Coby White was rated 79th in the class of 2018 when he committed to the Heels

It’s fair to assume that the North Carolina coaching staff feels more confident than they have in previous years with top talent. Hopefully that confidence is shown to be well placed in the coming months.