UNC Recruiting: Tar Heels showing ‘most’ interest in Matthew Hurt
By Zack Pearson
Where do the Tar Heels stand with c/o 2019 recruit Matthew Hurt? The latest on his recruitment
With a few recruits left unsigned in the 2018 class, it could change the recruiting landscape for some teams. But for North Carolina, they already have a top 10 class with the commitments of Nassir Little, Coby White and Rechon Black.
They are looking to add more but head coach Roy Williams is also starting to put a big focus on the 2019 class.
One of UNC’s top targets in 2019 is small forward Matthew Hurt.
The Minnesota native is currently ranked as the No. 4 recruit in the 2019 class by 247 Sports’ composite rankings and he’s drawing interest from top programs such as Kansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Duke, Indiana and Arizona among others.
At 6-foot-9, Hurt is a versatile forward that can stretch the floor and also be a factor on the glass.
It’s still a little early in Hurt’s recruitment but two teams have really made a strong push and have shown the most interest in the recruit.
According to Rivals’ recruiting analyst Corey Evans, the Tar Heels and Kansas Jayhawks have shown the most interest in Hurt. Evans responded to a Twitter question for his mailbag on the topic and offered up this response:
"The Tar Heels and Jayhawks have invested a ton of time and attention with the 6-foot-9 forward. Hurt fits the modern day frontcourt prospect perfectly: He can take his man off the bounce, consistently make shots to the perimeter, is an underrated athlete and rebounds in and out of his area. For all of these reasons, it is easy to see why both have had an offer on the table for over a year and a half now."
The Tar Heels will have some competition outside of Kansas, however. In-state Minnesota is also pursuing Hurt and his brother, Michael, is currently a sophomore for the Gophers.
Other schools to keep an eye on include Kentucky, Indiana and Duke, all have shown interest recently and are solid contenders for the recruit.
UNC already has point guard Jeremiah Francis verbally committed to its 2019 class and adding a post player would be huge. Sterling Manley, Garrison Brooks and Brandon Huffman area all projected to be four-year players for the Tar Heels and all would be entering their junior years.
Adding Hurt would provide a key skill player in the post to go along with the trio.
Next: White, Little standing out at McDonald's Game
For more on Hurt and other UNC targets, please check back with Keeping It Heel.