The 2020 recruiting class for Carolina basketball can very well be viewed as a class that has gotten off to a slow start, as they only received one commitment so far. However, can it really be considered a slow start when Roy Williams discovered such a strong talent right off the bat? It’s very likely that Williams would say things are going according to plan, and quite honestly, I’d have to agree after hearing more and more buzz from the AAU trail about UNC’s future big man.
2020 commit Day’Ron Sharpe has had a very impressive summer so far. So impressive, in fact, that he has been upgraded from a four-star to a five-star by both Rivals and 247 Sports with ESPN being the only major holdout. This was enough to make Sharpe a 247 Sports Composite five-star, and he is considered the 18th best player in the country, and the fifth-best center. Needless to say, following the conclusion of AAU play, there were a lot of glowing praises for the young kid from Winterville, NC.
Last week was the Adidas Gauntlet Finale, which is the final weekend for the AAU league that Day’Ron Sharpe participated in for Garner Road. Following the finale, 247 Sports’ Brian Snow and Rivals’ Eric Bossi discussed the standout performers that they got to see. Sharpe was named by both analysts, and here is some of what they had to say.
From Brian Snow:
The only real way to describe Sharpe this weekend is as a beast. The big man for Garner Road was a dominant force nearly every time out, and showed why he is one of the premier prospects in the entire country. Sharpe has elite hands, great length, and he is continually getting more mobile and more athletic. He does almost all of his damage on the block and off of rebounds right now, but the nice touch he has, should allow him to score facing the rim as he gets to college. On defense his length allows him to be a rim protector, and then he also has the ability to rebound both in and out of his area.
From Eric Bossi:
Sharpe has always been a dude. In SoCal, he was THE dude. We write and talk about men among boys in sports, but Sharpe really fit that description. It feels like each time I see him he’s a little stronger, a little more skilled and a little more mean. Sharpe has the best hands of any big in the class and he just keeps getting better.
Sharpe averaged 14.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists during the four games of the Adidas Gauntlet Finale this past weekend. His best performance came in the game Saturday against Team Rose, when he finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, a steal, and shot at a 71.4% clip from the field.
When taking a look at what both analysts had to say about Sharpe’s game, the standout statements made are in regards to how strong he is both physically and how he plays the game. From the physical standpoint, it does seem like Sharpe is stronger every time I see a new highlight video. It’s exciting to think about what shape he’ll be in once he gets to Chapel Hill, as he likely could hang with a good amount of college bigs if he were to enter college right now.
As far as his game goes, it’s been really hard to see many weaknesses in what he’s able to do. He’s able to move well for his size, he does a very good job on the boards, and always seems to find a way to get to the rim and finish. In the video below he also shows off a nice-looking jumper, which begs the question as to whether or not he can stretch the floor within the arc at a consistent level. Overall, he’s looking like a better grab for the Tar Heels as time progresses, and the fact that he still has plenty of room to grow makes things that much more exciting.
There will be a good amount of questions as to who is left on the UNC roster by the time UNC’s 2019-20 campaign is complete. Should Armando Bacot prove that he is good enough to explore/enter the NBA Draft, Roy Williams will be able to sleep well at night knowing that he already has a big man committed for the 2020 class that should be able to step in and keep things going. Things will only get better for the class, as he continues to stay extremely active in his pursuit to land some of the best players available, but there’s no doubt that one of the best players is already scheduled to be in Chapel Hill this time next year.