UNC basketball recruiting: PF Vernon Carey Jr.‏ includes North Carolina in his final 8

The NCAA cleared North Carolina of any wrongdoing in their investigation of the school’s classes, and it should do wonders for the program’s recruiting track record. For a few years, UNC has had a little bit of a reputation for being unable to lock top recruits into a commitment, but things could be different moving forward.

The Tar Heels have already managed to bring in five-star small forward Nassir Little to the 2018 recruiting class. Now Carolina is in the final eight for top recruit Vernon Carey Jr.‏, a player they offered over the summer.

Among his other top schools are Duke, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan State, and UCLA. The Blue Devils and Wildcats are the schools most likely to scoop him up, but as a future one-and-done, Carey Jr. has the ability to go wherever he wants at the end of the day.

The 2019 recruit is rated at the very top of his class, according to the national composite. This means he ranks #1 overall nationally, #1 in his home state of Florida, and #1 among all power forwards. To be included in his top anything is a huge chance for the Tar Heels to get an elite-level talent on campus.

Getting a commitment from Vernon Carey Jr. would be the real icing on the cake for a program that has gone through the ringer, even if they are coming off a national title. The 2019 class already includes point guard Jeremiah Francis, who committed over the summer. Picking up Carey Jr. would help the team put together back-to-back strong recruiting classes with 2018 looking to be at the top of the NCAA.