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UNC Basketball: Tar Heels losing ground on Matthew Hurt?

By Blake Cockrum

CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 03: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts during their game against the Tulane Green Wave at the Dean Smith Center on December 3, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 03: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts during their game against the Tulane Green Wave at the Dean Smith Center on December 3, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Tar Heels a long shot to sign five-star power forward Matthew Hurt?

It was nearly two years ago that North Carolina head coach Roy Williams offered a scholarship to Matthew Hurt. The Tar Heels have been hot on Hurt’s trail ever since, tabbing him as one of their top targets in the class of 2019.

Prioritizing Hurt makes sense, what with the tremendous and versatile skill set that the 6-foot-9, 199-pound power forward possesses. A senior at John Marshall Senior in Rochester, Minnesota, Hurt has just about every big name program in the country after him.

That list includes the likes of Arizona, Duke, Florida and Louisville, but it’s Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota and North Carolina who appear to have put some separation between themselves and the competition. There is talk, however, that Duke has begun to come on strong in recent months, looking to add the talented big man to what will surely be another star-studded recruiting class.

At one point, it seemed like the Tar Heels might have a leg up on the others. Now, though, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Related Story: Wendell Moore talks recruiting, Tar Heels

It’s Kansas in recent months that Hurt has been frequently linked to, suggesting that the Jayhawks may now be in the forefront of his recruitment. On top of that, a growing percentage of predictions from recruiting analysts on 247Sports have pegged Kansas as Hurt’s most likely landing spot.

Now with 58 percent of votes, Kansas leads Minnesota and North Carolina, which hold 17 and eight percent of the vote, respectively. An additional 17 percent of voters have a cloudy outlook on Hurt’s recruitment, unsure where the talented big man will eventually land.

It’s probably too early to count Minnesota out, though, given that it’s the flagship school in his home state, and the school that his brother attends and plays basketball for.

Next: Check out what this 5-star prospect said about UNC

The five-star big man is currently ranked No. 4 in the class of 2019 according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s the No. 2 player at his position and the top prospect in the state of Minnesota.

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