UNC Recruiting: North Carolina targets Williamson, Langford face off

North Carolina’s top targets in the class of 2018 do battle at Adidas Gauntlet

Two of the top three prospects in the class of 2018 went head-to-head in the Adidas Gauntlet on Friday night; Spartanburg Day’s Zion Williamson and New Albany’s Romeo Langford.

Williamson, the MaxPreps Junior All-America Player of the Year, has been making headlines all year long with his dominant play and high-flying dunks.

His per-game averages of 37 points, 13 rebounds and 3.2 assists are staggering, and his propensity for throwing down powerful dunks on anyone who gets in his way is the biggest reason for the capacity crowds at all of his games.

His size, strength and play-making ability have coaches across the country salivating. And that’s why the ultra-athletic big man has interest from more than 30 schools.

North Carolina head coach Roy Williams, for one, has taken numerous trips to see the 6-foot-7, 230-pound small forward. As is with other teams, Williamson would be a huge commitment for the Tar Heels, and one that could get the program back on track with future five-star recruits.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Williamson is the No. 2 prospect in the class of 2018 and the top player at his position.

He currently has offers from Arizona, Baylor, Clemson, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, UCLA and Virginia, among others.

Langford, the top shooting guard in the class of 2018, is a consensus five-star prospect and top-three junior in the nation.

His ability to shoot the ball, particularly from three-point range, put him on the map. But he’s also a talented ball-handler with tremendous athletic ability, as well. To put it plainly, there aren’t a lot of holes in his game.

At 6-foot-5 and 190-pounds, he also matches up very well against other guards and will likely have a size advantage in many games at the collegiate level.

Langford averaged 28.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and more than two blocks per game in leading New Albany to a 25-4 record and an appearance in the regional final.

He’s the No. 3 player in the class of 2018 according to the 247Sports Composite. He is the consensus No. 1 shooting guard in the class and the top player in the state of Indiana.

He currently has offers from Duke, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina and UCLA among others.

Needless to say, when these two players were slated to play each other, it brought a huge crowd and expectations aplenty.

The video below shows the line outside of the arena that formed over an hour and a half before the start of the game on Friday night.

When all was said and done, it was Langford’s Twenty Two Vision team that got the victory over Williamson’s South Carolina Supreme. Langford finished the game with 28 points while Williamson kept pace with 26.

Surprisingly, the biggest stars in the arena weren’t even on the court that night. They were in the stands.

According to Rivals, Arkansas’ Mike Anderson, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Kansas’ Bill Self, Indiana’s Archie Miller and South Carolina’s Frank Martin were all in attendance for the game. Also present at the game were representatives from Clemson, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina and Vanderbilt, among others.

These are two of the most heated recruiting battles in the country as we move closer to next season, and don’t look for either player to make a decision any time soon.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for future updates on both players as well as everything North Carolina recruiting.

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