UNC Recruiting: Can the Heels seal the deal and land 2023 four-star Zayden High?

In case any of you are out of the loop when it comes to the recruitment of 2023 four-star power forward Zayden High, let me get you up to speed: High made his way to Chapel Hill for his official visit during Hurricane Ian, and from the sounds of it his trip went really well. He spoke very highly of his visit itself, and it helps a lot that he would get a good amount of playing time right away with Pete Nance graduating after this season. All and all, you couldn’t hope for a more successful official visit.

This is where the guys at On3.com come in: Jamie Shaw released an article two days ago that spoke highly of the connection between UNC and Shaw. In fact, he spoke so highly of how things have been going between the two parties that he feels like as of right now the Tar Heels are ahead of Michigan, Villanova, Arkansas, and Texas. An important reminder: Shaw was also the one that pissed off UNC Twitter when he said that GG Jackson was on the verge of decommitting, and it turns out that he was right.

With that in mind, here is what Shaw had to say about where UNC stands with High:

This one seems like a three-team race that, with time, has dwindled to one – with the possibility of a second program lurking. UNC first started with High in April; when he went for 27 against then UNC commit GG Jackson. However, they did not offer because they did not have a scholarship open. Once Jackson de-committed, UNC turned full force toward High.

UNC is showing High film of Brady Manek, when Manek show 16-of-24, 67 percent, from three in the Tar Heel’s run through to the NCAA Tournament finals. Manek averaged 18.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in those six games. High spoke highly of the tradition and the facilities around the UNC program. With Pete Nance set to graduate, High could come in to compete for playing time right away.

Shaw would go on to say that High says he still wants to check out Arkansas before making his decision, but he has yet to schedule an official visit. One would have to imagine that if UNC is already leading over the other three schools, a trip to Fayetteville may not move the needle too much (no offense, Razorback fans). Still, as we all know by now recruiting can be unpredictable and even a little chaotic, which is exactly how the scholarship that was offered to High came about — it is the same offer that GG Jackson held before he decided to take his talents to South Carolina. Tar Heel fans should be optimistic by Shaw’s comments, but landing Zayden High is far from a done deal.

What do you think about Shaw’s comments about High’s recruitment? Do you think Hubert Davis will be able to land (and hopefully keep) him? Let us know in the comments below.