UNC Recruiting: 2021 PG Hunter Sallis drops his Top 12

Class of 2021 combo guard Hunter Sallis from Millard North (Omaha, NE) High School (6-foot-5, 165 pounds) tweeted out his top 12 list yesterday:

Carolina was expected to make Sallis' cut (although they probably didn’t expect the initial list to be so big.) The Tar Heels continue to be dogged in their pursuit of the tall combo guard. Roy Williams will put all of his chips on the table to get this prospect out of Nebraska and in to Chapel Hill, now that point guard Kennedy Chandler has committed to Tennessee.

UNC does not currently have any offers out to any other 2021 point guards, and at this late stage in the game, they would have to go further down the rankings to find one. Alternatively, Roy could look into the grad transfer market, which might turn into the Wild, Wild West this year depending on whether or not there is a season. This path has been extremely hit or miss for the Heels.

I’m gonna be straight with you. I’m giddy about Hunter Sallis. This kid’s game clicks with Carolina’s style of play seamlessly. I see a bit of Coby White in him. He’s tall. He’s faster than he is quick. He looks better suited running the floor and attacking an unset defense than breaking down a defender one-on-one like Allen Iverson. If Caleb Love leaves after his freshman season as many expect, Sallis would be ideally positioned to share a backcourt with R.J. Davis and allow Leaky Black to assume his rightful place as a Theo Pinson-esque mismatch on the wing.

Check out the highlight video below to see Sallis in action. When you get to the 4:39 mark, say a prayer for poor Preston Pearson (#24 in blue, Kearney Bearcats) as Hunter sets up on the left wing and roasts him and his buddies on three straight plays.

Sallis’s top 12 is an eclectic mix of blue bloods, new money, courtesy local teams, schools about to get clobbered by the FBI, and long shots far away from home, although as the home of U.S. Strategic Command, Omaha is smack dab in the middle of the country, so flying to any school on either coast is roughly the same trip.

Hunter has only visited Gonzaga, Creighton, Iowa State, and Kansas out of the remaining finalists, and getting to Chapel Hill for a visit (official or otherwise) will not be easy with NCAA-mandated safety restrictions. Fortunately for Roy, his coaching and support staff now includes youngster-ish assistants like Sean May and Kendall Marshall who can presumably teach him how to Zoom.

Creighton has not, in spite of my prayers, magically burned to the ground yet, and are the local favorite with Nebraska not making the top 12. Gonzaga is the only school that Sallis has visited that required an airline ticket. I lump Alabama, Iowa State, Oregon, and Michigan in the “meh” category. Kentucky just offered last Friday, and figures to frustrate Carolina’s recruiting efforts. That leaves Louisville, Kansas, and Auburn, all currently under investigation:

That leaves the good guys as the last team standing, right? In all seriousness, Hunter Sallis will take his time during this recruiting process, as well he should, especially since he will likely have to do so without visiting all of the schools on his list. There is every possibility that he could commit to Carolina, and the first time he sets foot on campus will be as a new student. Hopefully it won’t come to that, but just in case, let’s keep all fingers and toes crossed that Roy’s got a strong WiFi connection in his office.