UNC Basketball: Class of 2017 Peach Jam recap

As Peach Jam comes to an end, 2017 priorities emerge for UNC

It’s the beginning of a very important July evaluation period, and multiple college programs made their way to Augusta, Georgia to watch some of 2017’s top prospects face off.

It is around this time of year that college coaches extend offers out to new prospects. This makes for a very exciting time for college basketball fans, particularly those of Carolina.

The Tar Heels will need a huge class in 2017 if they want to compete in the always competitive Atlantic Coast Conference.

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Even while recovering from surgery, Roy Williams was running around from court to court keeping an eye on all of his prospects. But he wasn’t alone; Williams was joined by assistants Steve Robinson, Hubert Davis, and C.B. McGrath.

These four had to come in with a game plan if they wanted to make all of the important games, and they brought their A-game.

While the Carolina staff kept in touch with their main priorities at this tournament, they also made sure to keep an eye out for new talent. After Peach Jam, UNC fan’s are getting a clearer picture as to which players Williams and crew are pursuing.

Offered Targets:

P.J. Washington, PF- A versatile threat, Washington can dominate his opponent in a variety of ways, making him one of UNC’s top priorities. Washington was viewed six times by Williams, the most out of any Tar Heel recruit.

He performed extremely well throughout Peach Jam, leading his team to the semi-finals. When asked about UNC, Washington stated, “I can see myself going there.” North Carolina is considered a heavy favorite along with Kentucky, Texas, and Arizona.

Mohamed Bamba, PF- This powerful forward (no pun intended) is arguably the best player in the 2017 class. As a long-time recruit, Bamba has a very good relationship with Williams and the coaching staff. He had 13 points and 13 rebounds per game this AAU season, leading his team to the Peach Jam finals.

UNC’s main competition for this target seems to be Duke, Kentucky, Harvard, and more.

Jeremiah Tilmon, PF- Tilmon committed to Illinois, where he is from, over UNC and others.

Kevin Knox, SF- This 6-foot-8 stud can hurt you on the wing and down low, making him appealing to North Carolina. Knox averaged 19 points per game and 8 rebounds per game while shooting 50% for E1T1 this AAU season.

Although his team played poorly, Knox put up good numbers and showed coaches why he’s one of the top players in the country. UNC is competing heavily with Duke, Kentucky, Florida St., and others.

Andrew Platek, SG– This 3-star shooting guard as not a typical UNC prospect. Platek averaged 12 points and 4 rebounds per game for the Albany City Rocks this year. Not a great athlete, Platek is best at 3-point sharpshooting, shooting near 40% from behind the arc.

He didn’t do very well at Peach Jam this year due to his lack of offense. It seems that UNC’s sole competition in this recruitment is Stanford. Platek may be a bit of a mystery, but like the Tar Heels always say, trust in Roy.

Brandon Randolph, SG- Randolph is a very skilled guard that has the ability to shoot threes and get past his defender. He averaged 15 points per game for the PSA Cardinals this year alongside UNC target Mohamed Bamba.

Although he didn’t shoot his best, Randolph was still one of the leading scorers every game at Peach Jam. It appears that Louisville is UNC’s main rival for Randolph, but there are multiple schools in the race.

Keep in mind that the Peach Jam is a Nike event, so there are UNC prospects that did not compete in this tournament because their teams did not participate in Nike.

Possible Offers:

Lonnie Walker, SG

Matt Coleman, SG

Hamidou Diallo, SG

Jordan Tucker, SF

Hamier Wright, SF

Brandon McCoy, PF

Brandon Huffman, C

Nate Watson, C

Although they are unclear now, expect multiple offers to go out by the end of this evaluation period.