Five-star 2027 forward Asa Montgomery made it official on Wednesday afternoon, picking Duke over a final group that also included North Carolina, UConn, Georgia Tech, and LSU.
The decision was hardly a shock. Montgomery had long been trending toward the Blue Devils, and once the recruiting trail unfolded the way it did, the outcome felt all but sealed.
North Carolina did get its chance to make a run at him. Montgomery took his official visit to Chapel Hill on September 25, giving Michael Malone and his staff an opportunity to make their case for one of the class’s fastest-rising names. But the momentum shifted soon after, when Montgomery’s next official stop was only eight miles down Tobacco Road.
A week later, he was at Duke for Countdown to Craziness, and that visit changed the tone of the recruitment. Crystal Ball predictions began coming in for Duke shortly after, and Montgomery then canceled previously scheduled trips to Arizona and Louisville.
By the time he set Wednesday as decision day, the destination was already easy to read. The hope among some was that he might throw a curveball. Instead, he landed where the predictions had pointed.
Montgomery is now the latest major piece in Jon Scheyer’s 2027 class, joining Kager Knueppel and Luke Paul. Rivals lists the 6-foot-7 small forward as the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2027 class.
For North Carolina, the focus remains elsewhere. DeMarcus Henry and CJ Rosser have been viewed as higher priorities, and while losing Montgomery is still a hit, the Tar Heels had already started shifting their attention to other top targets in the class.
Now the spotlight turns to whether Henry becomes the first 2027 recruit to commit to North Carolina on Friday.
In Other News...
Bill Belichick's Real Power At UNC May Be Coming Into Focus
North Carolinas front office reshuffling has turned into one of the more revealing storylines around the Tar Heels football program. The school suspended Michael Lombardi from his general manager role on July 27 amid an HR investigation, and he formally resigned in early September, leaving the program to sort through a job that has become increasingly important as college football keeps borrowing more from the pro model.
The search for a replacement is already underway, with former Michigan GM Sean Magee helping consult on the process. What makes the next hire especially interesting is the possibility that the role could be built to report to both athletic director Steve Newmark and head coach Bill Belichick, a structure that would say a lot about how much influence Belichick is expected to wield in Chapel Hill and how UNC wants its football operation to function moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Downs Just Put UNC Fans On Trade Watch
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Downs has long been one of the more recognizable Carolina receivers to follow at the next level, and his situation now sits in the same conversation as teammate Jonathan Taylor. The Tar Heels, meanwhile, have their own receiver story unfolding back in Chapel Hill with Jordan Shipp and the broader push to keep that position producing at a high level. For a fan base that tracks both the college and pro arcs closely, this is the kind of roster-watch wrinkle that can change the mood around a Friday night or Sunday afternoon in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Tar Heels Just Got A Troubling Wake-Up Call Before The Real Games
North Carolina got its final preseason test Friday night, and it was a reminder that the margin for error will shrink fast once the real games begin. The Tar Heels escaped Charlotte 89-82 in overtime, leaning on Terrence Browns 27 points and a late defensive surge after trailing by as many as 15 in the first half.
The comeback was encouraging, but the early hole was just as telling for a team trying to settle in before the schedule turns serious. North Carolina did manage to slam the door late, forcing Charlotte to miss its final seven shots in overtime, yet the game still offered an uneasy snapshot of where the Tar Heels are heading into the season: capable of bursts, but not yet fully in command for long stretches. [Read more 🡒]