ACC Spotlight: Miami, NC State, North Carolina
When it rains, it pours. That easily could have been said the past few weeks when it came to commitments to programs from within the SEC.
That made us think… which conference could take the reins from the SEC and go on its own roll in picking up some quality commitments in the coming weeks? The answer? The Atlantic Coast Conference.
Today we dive into part three of the five-part series as we inspect the conference and where each school is at with recruits moving forward.
MIAMI
There aren’t many more programs as heavily involved with a load of high level prospects this fall as the Hurricanes. If you want a lead guard, they’re on with the likes of Xavier Simpson and De’Jon Jarreau. If you want a wing, they are on it with Tyson Carter and DeAndre Hunter. And if you want a big man, they already have Oak Hill center Rodney Miller committed, but they are right there with others such as Juwan Durham, Eddie Ekiyor, Dewan Huell, and Brison Gresham. If you are a fan of the ACC program, this fall could be a fun few months where, though Larranaga and his crew need to beat out several blueblood programs for its primary targets, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Hurricanes finishing with a top-20 class in 2016.
NC STATE
This could be the class that puts the Wolfpack on the radar as the hunted on the recruiting trail. Mark Gottfried has done a commendable job of coaching his group on the hardwood but the 2016 class is shaping up to be an elite class. While they were the perceived leader for Christian Matthews, of who committed to Georgia Tech on Saturday evening, that all changed a tad when they received a commitment a few weeks back from reclassing senior Maverick Rowan. They are in pursuit of Tyson Carter, a 6-foor-3 guard from Mississippi, but where things draw back to is with two in-state recruits. Dennis Smith and Bam Adebayo, an elite point guard and big man respectively, have been thought of as two ballplayers that could play out their college days together and if all goes according to plans, those days will occur in Raleigh next winter.
NORTH CAROLINA
The Tar Heels didn’t have the best of years on the recruiting circuit within the 2015 class and while they are heavily involved with a trunk full of recruits this fall, they aren’t shoe-ins with any. Harry Giles is their primary target but their rivals in Durham might win out for the big man. They are also in the mix for such stars as Dennis Smith, Bam Adebayo, Kobi Simmons, Javin DeLaurier, and Miles Bridges, but it would seem that it could be an uphill battle for each. Where things begin to get more optimistic is in their pursuit of Seventh Woods, a 6’2 explosive guard from South Carolina, and it looks like a two way battle between the Gamecocks and the Tar Heels. Roy Williams recently dished out an offer to Brandon Robinson, who seems to have always wanted an offer from the program and thinks highly of the Chapel Hill institution, so things could look favorable here. Lastly, while he took an official visit to the school back in February and things have stalled some, Tony Bradley, a 6-foot-9 center from Bartow High in Florida, has remained high on the Tar Heels. Lauri Markkanen, a forward from Finland, will also take a visit to UNC at the end of next month.