UNC Basketball recruiting: 2018 target Nate Laszewski sets official visit

One of Roy Williams' top targets will be making his official visit to Chapel Hill next month. With Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks, and Tony Bradley all departing this summer, and inexperience on the frontline this coming season, the Tar Heels will be looking for several big men in the 2018 recruiting class. And while more heralded recruits like Zion Williamson and Simisola Shittu have been grabbing headlines, Nate Laszewski would make a unique addition to the Tar Heels.

Laszewski, ranked 87th for the class of 2018, is a pure stretch 4, a six-foot-ten, 190-pound power forward who lives on the perimeter. The most obvious comparison is Luke Maye, who also came in with stretch four potential, but Laszewski is even more inclined to stay out on the perimeter and is taller with a longer wingspan. He also has a Carolina connection: Incoming Tar Heel freshman Andrew Platek was his teammate at Northfield Mount Hermon High School in Massachusetts.

Bringing in another shooting PF has obvious benefits. If Carolina is able to develop its current freshman bigs, all of whom like to play back to the basket, they would profit from having another big stretching the floor for them. Better yet, if either Williamson or Shittu come to Chapel Hill, they'll have explosive attacking players that will require a lot of attention from defenders. A shooter like Laszewski could make teams pay for leaving him open.

Laszewski makes his visit on September 23rd, the third trip to an ACC school he will make that month. He visits Notre Dame on September 9th and Wake Forest the 16th. He also has offers from Wisconsin, Indiana, Arizona, and Vanderbilt.

Notre Dame has long been in the hunt for Laszewski and scouts consider the Irish the favorite to land him, however, he has strong family ties to Wisconsin. Both his parents attended UW-Madison and his sister currently plays on the Women's team there. And heck, Arizona's already shown a knack for signing big guys who's last name ends in "zewski."

Carolina's rebuild of its National Championship front court is ongoing, but if the Heels are able to win out over the other suitors, Nate Laszewski could prove to be a strong contributor to another great Tar Heel squad.