North Carolina’s recruiting board kept moving this week, and the latest stretch of activity puts a spotlight on both the present and the future.
The biggest headliner is five-star wing DeMarcus Henry, who is at UNC this weekend for an official visit. Henry, a Charlotte native who plays at Arizona’s Compass Prep, is set for his fifth official stop after visits to Louisville, UConn, Arkansas and Kentucky, according to Rivals’ Joe Tipton.
Henry had been considering an Oct. 30 commitment, which would land just after his Carolina trip. That date is still a target, not a locked-in announcement.
UNC’s pitch has included Michael Malone’s NBA experience, something Henry has already responded to.
“He’s a great coach, and he talks to me about NBA-style basketball, which I like,” Henry told Rivals in a previous interview reproduced in Tipton’s report.
Henry represented the United States’ U18 AmeriCup team in León, Mexico, in June and is ranked third nationally in the 247 Composite rankings.
His production has matched the profile. Last season at Compass Prep, he averaged 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.2 steals, according to MaxPreps.
With Vegas Elite this summer, he put up 20.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.9 steals across 11 EYBL regular-season games, according to The Field of 68. At Peach Jam, he averaged 18.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals, according to KSR.
UNC’s momentum this week wasn’t limited to Henry. On Wednesday, the Tar Heels offered Greensboro Day forward Grant Duggins, a class of 2029 prospect, after Malone and assistants Chuck Martin and Sean May watched practice at the school.
Duggins had already been on campus in late September, so this latest offer came after continued evaluation rather than a fresh visit.
“The coaches said they like my versatility, my basketball IQ, and my understanding of the game,” Duggins told Inside Carolina.
He said his family expects to come back to Chapel Hill for a regular-season game. Kansas, Iowa, Florida State, N.C State and South Carolina are among the other schools that have offered him.
As a freshman at Greensboro Day last season, Duggins averaged 9.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 41.8% from 3-point range. Playing for Team CP3’s 15U team last summer, he averaged 17.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while shooting 61.9% from the floor.
That offer followed two more from the week before. On Oct.
15, UNC reportedly offered Cherif Millogo, a class of 2027 center from St. Francis High School in La Cañada Flintridge, Calif., while Malone, May and Martin were out West evaluating prospects, according to Tar Heel 247.
Millogo’s other offers include Kentucky, Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama and Louisville.
A day earlier, class of 2029 guard JJ Crawford announced on Instagram that he had received an offer from UNC.
The recent wave of offers has underscored how much ground Malone and the staff are covering across several classes at once, from Henry in 2027 to Duggins and Crawford in 2029.
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