Keeping It Heel
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UNC Recruiting: Tar Heels’ 2019 class could look a lot like this

By Blake Cockrum

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 16: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on from the sideline against the Lipscomb Bisons during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 16: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on from the sideline against the Lipscomb Bisons during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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OMAHA, NE – MARCH 25: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils reacts against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 25, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE – MARCH 25: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils reacts against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 25, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Wendell Moore

The “brotherhood” strikes again. This time, with five-star in-state prospect Wendell Moore.

It wasn’t that long ago that Moore was seen as a likely UNC commit, but in recent weeks it appears more and more plausible that he’ll end up eight miles down the road at Duke.

It’s really not all that surprising to a North Carolina fan base that’s seen this happen frequently over the past several years. Players like Brandon Ingram, Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum are remembered well in Chapel Hill for choosing Duke over UNC, breaking the hearts of hopeful Tar Heel fans.

Ingram was a particularly painful loss for Roy Williams, the program and UNC fans alike due to the nature of his recruitment and eventual decision. Despite being considered a near-lock to sign with UNC at one point, Ingram committed to Duke. Had it not been for the looming NCAA investigation – a point which Ingram later confirmed – the five-star wing would have chosen North Carolina.

Thankfully, that shadow is no longer hanging over the program, and future UNC targets’ decisions won’t be swayed by opposing coaches’ claims of possible NCAA sanctions.

Despite no longer having that tactic in his arsenal, though, Mike Krzyzewski may still get the last laugh in Moore’s recruitment. If he does, it’ll simply be the latest example of the Tar Heels’ ineptitude against Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils.

Regardless of that, Moore’s recruitment appears to be just a two-horse race between the storied Tobacco Road blue bloods, and the Tar Heels at least have a puncher’s chance of besting Coach K and the Blue Devils.

https://twitter.com/thewendellmoore/status/992539554786799617

Although Duke and North Carolina look like the prohibitive favorites in Moore’s recruitment, he did include North Carolina State, South Carolina and Wake Forest in his recent list of five finalists.

But don’t look for a decision from Moore until he has made an official visit to each of his five finalists, which could very well push his decision out to the 2019 spring signing period.

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