North Carolina’s push for DeMarcus Henry is reaching the finish line, and the timing around it tells you plenty about how serious this staff is about landing him.
The 5-star forward is set to announce his decision on Friday, Oct. 30, after wrapping up his recruitment following an official visit to Chapel Hill. Before that final call arrives, 247Sports reporter David Sisk said Michael Malone and members of his staff will head to Henry’s prep school this week for one more meeting.
That lines up with everything that’s happened over the last few days. Henry spent two days on campus during his UNC official visit.
Michael Jordan also called him during the trip to Chapel Hill. Henry then set a decision date and trimmed things to a final four of UNC, UConn, Louisville, and Kentucky.
Now Malone, Chuck Martin and others are headed to the Phoenix area on Wednesday in an effort to close the deal.
This is a full-on recruiting push, and it makes clear that Malone isn’t treating this like a passive race. He’s going all in. The staff is making sure nothing gets left on the table before Henry makes his choice.
Landing Henry would be a massive win for UNC. The 6-7, 210-pound forward has been drawing heavy attention, and for a while Arkansas looked like the team to beat after his official visit there. Pat Kelsey and Dan Hurley have also put themselves in the mix.
But the Jordan call changed the temperature of this recruitment. That kind of move stands out, even in a chase this big. The Tar Heels already have the weight of the UNC brand working for them, and having the greatest player of all time - don't talk to us about LeBron James - speak directly to Henry only adds to the pitch.
Malone wouldn’t be making the trip to Chandler, Ariz., if he didn’t believe UNC was in a strong position. The fact that he is going there anyway says the staff sees a real chance to finish this off. Henry is the nation’s No. 1 small forward and No. 3 player overall, and the Tar Heels are doing everything they can to make sure that next step happens in Chapel Hill.
Nobody knows how it will end until Friday, but UNC’s official visit appears to have gone as well as it could have. If Wednesday goes the way the Tar Heels want, the program may be sitting on major news at the end of the week.
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For North Carolina, the miss is less about one player and more about the broader picture of where the battle lines keep getting drawn. Dukes class already features other top prospects, and Montgomery only strengthens that early momentum while UNC shifts its focus to the next wave of elite targets. In recruiting, timing can matter as much as pitch, and this one got away before the Tar Heels had much room to turn it around. [Read more 🡒]