UNC Recruiting: Gauging the Tar Heels chances to land Matthew Hurt

Where does Matthew Hurt fit in with the Tar Heels?

It was July 26th, 2016 when Roy Williams and the University of North Carolina extended a scholarship offer to class of 2019 prospect Matthew Hurt.

Hurt already held a handful of offers from notable schools including Ohio State, Oregon, Wisconsin and Xavier, but North Carolina was the first of college basketball’s blue bloods to come calling on the talented big man.

More from UNC Basketball

Soon after, the 6-foot-9, 199-pound power forward would receive offers from Arizona, Kansas, Louisville and others. That was followed by visits from some of the nation’s top basketball programs.

Williams was one of the first head coaches to make the trip to Rochester, Minnesota to visit with the freshman from John Marshall Senior High. It didn’t take long, though, before Arizona, Duke, Kansas and Kentucky were doing the same. By early 2017, Hurt was one of the hottest young players in the nation.

Since then, Hurt’s stock has only risen, adding scholarship offers from Florida, Indiana and Notre Dame among others. And nearly two years since he jumped into the limelight, things are really heating up in Hurt’s recruitment.

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski is expected to visit Hurt on Thursday, followed by a visit from Roy Williams on Sunday. And that’s just the beginning. Bill Self and John Calipari are likely to visit Hurt in the coming weeks, and a number of other programs may come out to give their best pitch as well.

It stands to reason that the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who have recruited the state’s top player since the very beginning, will be heavily involved as well. Hurt’s brother, Michael, already plays for the Gophers and that, too, is expected to play a part in the younger sibling’s decision.

In December, Hurt listed North Carolina as one of seven schools that was recruiting him the hardest. And given the amount of time that Williams and company have been involved in Hurt’s recruitment, I’d expect the Tar Heels to be a contender until the end.

In a conversation with Adam Zagoria, Hurt had this to say about the possibility of committing to the University of North Carolina:

"“Kind of like the same thing [as Duke], that I could fit in really well,” Hurt said. “I would have the freedom to play. Roy Williams compared me to Luke May on their team this year, who does a little bit of everything. They really want me to rebound and push it up the floor, so that’s good.”"

Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota and UCLA were the other six programs that Hurt listed, and he had kind words to say about each of them, too.

So where do the Tar Heels stand in the Hurt lottery?

Unfortunately, recent trends suggest that when North Carolina is battling for an elite recruit with Duke, Kansas or Kentucky, the Tar Heels usually end up on the outside looking in. And with all three programs involved, it seems like a long shot at best.

And although Minnesota is not a perennial basketball power, all indications are that Hurt is strongly considering staying in his home state and playing college hoops with his brother. I don’t think it’s what he will ultimately choose to do, but I would be remiss to discount the Gophers’ chances at snagging Hurt.

But perhaps it bodes well for the Tar Heels that Williams and his staff have been around since the start, building a relationship with Hurt for nearly two years. And it can’t hurt that North Carolina’s 2018 recruiting class is one of its best in a handful of years.

Still, though, it won’t be easy to pry Hurt out of his home state and keep him away from the other three blue bloods (Villanova isn’t a blue blood, no matter what anyone tells you). However, you’ve got to be in it to win it, and the Tar Heels have at least positioned themselves in a place of contention.

Next: Roy Williams has his sights set on a new target

So where does Matthew Hurt fit in with the Tar Heels?

My guess is, not at all.

Home/UNC Basketball