UNC Basketball 2013 Recruiting Tracker

Head spinning from all the offers, decisions, non decisions, transfers, it’s maddening. We’re keeping track of it all right here at Keeping It Heel.

Although it may appear that this is the off season, it’s far from that. In fact, this is one of the most exciting times of the year. Tis the season of recruiting.  North Carolina coach Roy Williams and his staff has been extremely active since the season ended for Carolina.

Roy Williams is aiming for a big haul in the 2013 class. UNC has already received commitments from point guard Nate Britt and power forward Isiah Hicks. While both Britt and Hicks were considered top 25 prospects when they committed to come to Chapel Hill. Each has improved their game tremendously since. Roy has already shown he can be a visionary on the recruiting scene.

Now it’s time to start reeling in the rest of the 2013 class and begin the process with the 2014 class.

Tracker Updated: August 21st

Class of 2013

SF Troy Williams Four Star Recruit 6-6, 190 Hampton, VA

Troy Williams is the nephew of AAU legend Boo Williams. For much of his basketball life he’s played with a chip on his shoulder, trying to establish himself outside of being just Boo’s nephew. Williams burst onto the national scene as a sophomore after playing a limited role his freshman season. A great scorer who can create his own shot anywhere on the court whenever he wants. Williams also is great at utilizing his length in the lane to finish at the basket. Very athletic and quick down the floor, paired with his finishing skills make him perfect for North Carolinas high octane offense. Williams is a streaky shooter who has range when his shot is on, he could stand to become a more consistent jump shooter.

Troy Williams has pushed his decision to an unknown date and has added four schools to his list. Carolina is still in the mix along with Kentucky. Williams now says that

UK and UNC are no longer in the lead for his services

. It is anyone’s guess at this point where Troy will land.  The latest in the Williams situation has Troy and teammate

Anthony “Cat” Barber

conspiring to go to the same program together.  Barber is not being considered by the Tar Heels.    Williams now says he will announce his decision in mid-November.  His list has grown to Louisville, Alabama, Memphis, Indiana, Ohio State, Arkansas, South Carolina and Georgetown, and potentially Kansas who has yet to officially offer Williams.

SF Jabari Parker 6-7, 215 Five Star Recruit Chicago, IL (BYU, Depaul, Duke, Illinois, Kansas, Kansas St, Kentucky, Michigan St, Missouri, UNC, Ohio St, Utah, Washington) Parker’s list is long with 13 schools still with a shot at the top player in the class. Parker has been very non-committal he will make his decision.

Finding something to criticize is a tough task when breaking down Parkers game. An extremely polished all around player, Parker has the look of a player ready to come in and dominate. Besides being the best player in the class, Parker’s year by year improvement has been marveled by scouts. Since entering HS, Parker has defined his body and appears in great shape, a knock against him as a freshman.

Parker can score and create for others anywhere on the court. He’s extremely explosive and likes to create off the dribble most in the half court. He’s terrific in the open court and likes to get out and run the break.

Parker listed UNC in his top 10 and said he would like to decide by November. Parker’s parents have kept media and coaches at a distance. They prohibited coaches from calling or texting their son and shut down his media access for a long period of time after he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. SI called Parker the next LeBron James though some view Andrew Wiggins of Canada as the best prep player in the world.

Parker sat out a large portion of the summer with a foot injury, but is still ranked as the #1 prospect by most.

PF Julius Randle 6-9, 225 Five Star Recruit Plano, TX (Kentucky, Ohio State, Duke, Kansas, North Carolina State, North Carolina, Baylor and Texas) At 6-9, 225 you would normally pencil him in as a power forward and move on. His face up game resembles current Tar Heel James Michael McAdoo, his tweener status and three point shooting reminds me of Marvin Williams.

Roy Williams has been recruiting Randle for a long time and has a very close relationship with him. With Isiah Hicks already in the fold, Randle is the next player I see committing to Carolina. Randle played with Hicks, Nate Britt and Troy Williams June 5-12 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

In an interview with Inside Carolina and spoke fondly of UNC once again. He revealed that he visited Chapel Hill during a break in the season. His coach also gushed about Roy Williams during his interview. Roy Williams continues to push hard for Randle and I’m still personally convinced Randle will be a Tar Heel before the summer is out.

Randle reiterated in comments about his upcoming visits that he could really see himself in Carolina Blue. Randle remains the Tar Heels top target in the 2013 class. The #2 rated prospect was the best player on the USA U-18 team that recently took home gold and he regularly dominated the competition. He’s improved his range and jump shot and has become a much more efficient player with his back to the basket. Randle had expressed a desire to make his college decision before his high school season. But right now he’s just starting the process.

"I really don’t have any type of list right now,” Randle told SNY.tv recently. “At the end of the summer I’ll probably sit down and see what colleges I’m really interested in and see where I want to take officials and go from there.”"

Clint Jackson recently came out and said those close to Randle feel that he will

cut his list down to five schools

those five schools at this point are a mystery.  Unofficial lists and recruiting services have often listed Kentucky, Ohio State, Duke, Kansas, North Carolina State, North Carolina, Baylor, Florida and Texas as schools with mutual interest in him.

SF Nick King 6-7, 210 Five Star Recruit Memphis, TN (Arkansas, Auburn, Georgetown, Marquette, Memphis, Miami, Mississippi, UNC, Oklahoma St, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, West Virginia) King has received some attention from Carolina, but he has not been a priority of the team and does not have an offer.

King is a great spot up shooter with consistent range and a sweet stroke. A solid defender who could use some work on his handle and his mid range game. King also needs to work on creating offense off the dribble. He thrives when fed the ball in spots he’s comfortable in but sometimes struggles finding his own offense.

Speculation ran ramped that King would be the next offer. With Troy Williams pushing his decision and adding schools to his list. UNC has yet to add a perimeter player in the 2013 class, King a top 10 prospect could be the perfect fit. Carolina has looked at him extensively this summer but has yet to offer. And I don’t see a offer coming for King at all, he recently cut his list from five to four, eliminating Carolina most likely due to the understanding that an offer was not coming from Roy Williams.

King still does not have an offer from Carolina but he listed UNC in his top five in early May.   UNC, Texas, Florida, Memphis and Georgetown.  King’s recent quotes however doesn’t bode well for UNC who has a stacked perimeter.  “I want to go somewhere I fit in,” he said. “Somewhere I can come in and play.”   Unless Carolina sees an unexpected mass exit amongst his perimeter, King might not be able to break through as a freshman.

SG Keith Frazier 6-5, 180 Five Star Recruit Irving, TX (Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida St, Memphis, Missouri, UNC, North Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA) Frazier hasn’t received an official offer from UNC yet. As of late the interest from UNC seems to have cooled.

Frazier is a big time shooter with excellent three point range. His athleticism is also a big time strength, Frazier can create his own shot and is terrific finishing at the basket. Can sometimes settle for too many jump shots, to take his game to the next level he needs to get to the basket more and utilize his athleticism. A decent defender but far from elite, he could stand to bulk up a little bit and work on his fundamentals, especially his lateral footwork on the defensive end.

I personally like the idea of Frazier in Chapel Hill versus King or any other perimeter player in the 2013 class. King is rated a little higher but that doesn’t mean much when all is said and done most of the time. More than likely they will be similar players. Frazier still has Carolina on a short list and they have kept in contact with him. It wouldn’t surprise me if Jabari Parker and Troy Williams end up elsewhere and Fraziers phone rings with a UNC offer one day out of the Carolina Blue.

The 6-foot-4 shooting guard out of Irving (TX) High School recently mentioned Georgia, Kentucky, Baylor, Texas, Houston, Marquette, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, North Carolina, Kansas and Memphis. He said each of those schools have offered except for UK and UNC.

PF Austin Nichols 6-9, 205 Four Star Recruit Memphis, TN

Nichols is a skilled big man with a solid mid range jump shot and athleticism. He has excellent footwork and can pass well out of the double team. He needs to put on a lot of weight, at just 205lbs, he’ll get pushed around at the next level. How he performs this AAU season and during his senior year will is key. I see Nichols as a bit of a project coming into college but a very worthwhile one at that.

Nichols recently trimmed his list down to six programs and eliminated North Carolina from consideration.

C Kennedy Meeks 6-9, 275 Four Star Recruit Hyattsville, MD (Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Georgetown, NC State [and] Louisville” )

Meeks was offered by UNC in late April after they watched him at the EYBL event. Like Joel James last season, Meeks is going to have to prove he can drop some weight and keep it off. At 275lbs the concern for Meeks on a team like Carolina would be his stamina. Right now I’m not 100% confident Meeks could play major minutes for Roy Williams. I had the same concerns last AAU season about Joel James and he proved he could get into shape by dropping close to 50 lbs. Meeks doesn’t need to lose quite that much but he certainly needs to drop a few waist sizes.

If he can drop the weight, Meeks could be a monster. A terrific rebounder, he’s great at creating space and taking over his area of the paint. He’s already developed an excellent low post game and his style of play translates well not just to the college level but maybe more so on the pro level. His athleticism and ability to run the floor are severely limited by his weight and wide frame. He looks like a football player on the court.

Meeks recently trimmed his list and has said that UNC is going after him hard. He has looked very good this AAU season and has surprised scouts with his passing skills. He’s working hard on his conditioning and it’s starting to show. Meeks still has a long road ahead and needs to work hard if he’s going to be an impact player at the next level.

C BeeJay Anya 6-9, 275 Four Star Recruit Hyattsville, MD (Syracuse, North Carolina, Duke, Ohio State, Indiana, Kansas)

Anya has offers from everyone on his list with the exception of Carolina. Anya is an interesting player, his skill set is attractive in that he’s a true low post scorer with great hands and an advanced post up game. A very good rebounder with long arms who defends pretty well.

The knocks on Anya are concerning. His work ethic has been questioned by more than a few. His athleticism and ability to run the floor are also major concerns. I’m not too sure Anya’s style fits UNC very well. He’s not all that tall (6-8 or 6-9 depending on who you listen to) and he can’t really run the floor. Roy Williams history doesn’t have many, if any, players recruited with known work ethic problems. In my view, Anya is on the Heels radar but don’t expect an offer unless he proves the critics wrong in more than one area, especially his work ethic.

Anya has a list of six teams, and Carolina remains despite no official offer. Syracuse, North Carolina, Duke, Ohio State, Indiana, Kansas. Still without an offer yet from UNC, Anya is amongst a group of big men Carolina has looked at, but is likely waiting to make an offer. With offers to Meeks, Nichols and Randle, and Roy Williams paying closer attention to Marcus Lee and Jermaine Lewis, I don’t see Anya in Chapel Hill 2013 C BeeJay Anyas last quick list of Syracuse, North Carolina, Duke, Ohio State, Indiana, Kansas.

Johnathan Williams III

6’8”, 208 lbs. is the #17 ranked player in the nation and #5 power forward. Williams currently has offers from Arkansas, Florida, Memphis, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas with interest from Carolina and Kentucky amongst others.

Williams is a very interesting prospect. Very similar to Randle, the southpaw big can face up like a guard with an exceptional handle. Many have compared Williams versatility to that of Lamar Odom. Williams can initiate the offense as a point forward, comfortable pushing the ball in transition and creating for his teammates in the half court.

Williams’ game is very similar to #2 overall prospect and probable superstar Julius Randle. Although Williams isn’t nearly as polished of a prospect as Randle, he may be even more versatile. But those similarities, along with having three offers to 2013 big men are the main reasons why Williams has yet to receive an offer from UNC.

Carolina has stayed in touch with Williams for a while now and have been in attendance at a couple of his game over the last year or so. Interest is mutual as Williams who does not necessarily have an official list, has mentioned Chapel Hill as a possibility throughout his recruiting process.

Wayne Selden

Selden is a very powerful player who is relentless attacking the basket. He’s great at using his body to absorb contact and finish at the basket, he gets to the free throw line a lot and shoots a high percentage. An efficient offensive player who takes high percentage shots and can create from anywhere on the floor.

Personally I think Selden would be an excellent fit in Carolina. His aggressive offensive style would blend well with Roy Williams high octane offense. I would prefer both Parker and Williams in Chapel Hill over Selden but if they decide to go elsewhere, Selden would have been a great alternative.

Selden

Jermaine Lawrence

Roy Williams was in attendance for the Reebok Breakout Challenge that featured Lawrence but has yet to make an offer. Lawrence is rated as a top 20 prospect and a top ten big man in the class of 2013. Lawrence has freakish athleticism and runs the floor almost as well as any big in the class. He looks like a terrific fit for UNCs up-tempo, fast break offense. He possesses tremendous leaping ability and rises to the rim in a hurry. Defensively he plays the passing lanes well and is a very good help defender.

He does a good job of carving out his area in the paint. He needs to put on a little bulk for the next level and refine his post game a little bit. His half court offensive game has exploded over the last year where he has a great shot. With three point range and the touch on his game and ball handling skills he reminds me more of Kevin Durant than a traditional big man and may be better served playing the perimeter than inside the post.

Lawrence is considering offers from: Cincinnati, Florida, Georgetown, Kansas, Kansas St, Louisville, Manhattan, Marquette, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, SMU, St. Johns, Syracuse and UNLV. He has received interest from many other schools who have yet to offer including: Baylor, Indiana, Iowa St, Miami, UNC, UCLA, Virginia and West Virginia.

Marcus Lee

Lee is a 6-9, 220 power forward/center out of Antioch, CA was recently quoted as saying that North Carolina along with several other teams are going hard after him. Lee is a great athlete who can run the floor as well as any big man in the country. He’s overflowing with upside but is very raw right now and isn’t a player you would look to, to make a big impact his freshman season.

With exceptional length to go along with his athleticism he specializes now as a shot blocker and help defender. He reminds me of Brice Johnson a little bit, he needs to develop a post up game, right now, he doesn’t have a go to move with his back to the basket. A terrific finisher who’s a quick riser, could use some strength at the next level.