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UNC Basketball: 5-star prospect Wendell Moore talks Tar Heels

By Blake Cockrum

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 18: The North Carolina Tar Heels Ram walks the floor during a timeout against the Texas A&M Aggies during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 18, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 18: The North Carolina Tar Heels Ram walks the floor during a timeout against the Texas A&M Aggies during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 18, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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Five-star prospect talks recruiting, official visits and Tar Heels

Wendell Moore has been on Roy Williams’ recruiting radar for a long time, and a player of his caliber would be a huge boost for the Tar Heels’ 2019 recruiting class.

That’s why Williams and company have dedicated so much time to the five-star wing’s recruitment, which dates back more than two years when Moore made an unofficial visit to campus in January of 2016. A scholarship offer came soon after, and multiple interactions between the two parties have taken place in the two-plus years since.

Moore has made a handful of trips to Chapel Hill, and the UNC coaching staff has watched him play on a number of occasions. It was around the time of said interactions that Moore seemed to be favoring the Tar Heels. Early predictions from recruiting outlets had Moore picking North Carolina over the competition, but then Duke got involved and things quickly began to change.

Related Story: 5-star target Keion Brooks announces top-10

It was good news for the Tar Heels, though, when Moore included them on his list of five finalists. North Carolina State, South Carolina and Wake Forest also made the cut, but few consider any of them to have a real shot at signing Moore.

Rivals recruiting analyst Corey Evans caught up with Moore this week at the USA Basketball U17 trials in Colorado Springs where the two discussed recruiting, finalists and upcoming official visits.

Regarding Moore’s plans to make official visits and his preferred timeline to make a decision, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound small forward had this to say:

"“I have NC State on September 1st, South Carolina is on September 8th, Duke is on September 22nd and Wake Forest is on September 28th. I am still working on the UNC date,” Moore told Evans. “I want to do something in the fall; that is what I am aiming towards, if possible. If I have everything done by then, I want to do it in the fall so that I can focus on my high school season”"

Moore went on to talk about his five finalists, and touched on the reasons why each program made his list and what they had to offer him at the next level.

"“A great program with a great history and with a great coach,” Moore said of North Carolina. “It is just a fun place to be around.”"

Although Duke appears to be the program in the driver’s seat, the Tar Heels are still very much a factor in Moore’s recruitment. You can bet that Williams and the UNC coaching staff will pull out all the stops when Moore comes to town for what could very well be his final official visit before making a decision.

Moore is the No. 17 prospect in the class of 2019 according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s a top-five small forward in the class and the No. 2 player in the state of North Carolina.

Next: UNC's starting lineup in 2018?

Check back with Keeping It Heel for the latest on Moore and the rest of the class of 2019.

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