Tar Heels’ chances to sign Cole Anthony, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl?

North Carolina positioned well for commitments from top 2019 prospects?

Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels have missed out on two five-star prospects over the past week, despite heavy involvement with both players throughout their respective recruitments.

No. 10 overall prospect Josh Green chose Arizona over North Carolina last week, though it was UNC that many felt had the edge in his recruitment over the past few months. And top-25 big man Wendell Moore picked Duke on Monday, a development that was surprising to absolutely no one.

Williams and the Tar Heels hadn’t dedicated a ton of time on Green’s recruitment. The loss of Moore is a more difficult pill to swallow, though, after months of pursuing him on the recruiting trail.

There is good news for the Tar Heels, though.

North Carolina has already got a commitment from class of 2019 center Armando Bacot, the No. 19 overall prospect according to the 247Sports Composite. The Tar Heels are also in the thick of a number of other recruiting battles including the No. 1 guard in the class, Cole Anthony, and one of the top forwards in Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.

Rivals recruiting analyst Corey Evans recently talked about the Tar Heels’ chances at landing Anthony and Robinson-Earl, and who he thinks the favorites in their respective recruitments are at this point in time.

"“Robinson-Earl, whose father played at Kansas under now North Carolina head coach Roy Williams, is nearing a college decision,” Evans said. “While he has no timetable for a commitment, I would not be surprised to see him sign during the early period next month. The Jayhawks have been the heavy favorite for him for the past few years, but the Tar Heels have remained a heavy presence. Ultimately, I see Robinson-Earl returning home from his one year at IMG Academy next fall and selecting Kansas.”"

And although the Tar Heels’ chances at landing Robinson-Earl look like a potential long-shot at the moment, the Anthony recruitment seems to be shaping up much more favorably for North Carolina.

"“Anthony, on the other hand, is not done with visits but North Carolina might be the program to beat at this point,” Evans said. He has developed a great rapport with Tar Heels commitment Armando Bacot and by all accounts, greatly enjoyed his visit to Chapel Hill two weeks ago.”"

The 247Sports Crystal Ball currently shows the Jayhawks as a unanimous favorite to land Robinson-Earl, while the Tar Heels seem to have a leg up on the competition in the Anthony recruitment. 66 percent of votes from recruiting experts are in favor of North Carolina, and the remaining 33 percent belong to Duke.

For more on the Anthony and Robinson-Earl recruitments, check back with Keeping It Heel.