UNC Basketball: Tar Heels the favorite for 5-star prospect Cole Anthony?

North Carolina the favorite for 5-star point guard Cole Anthony? According to one source, yes.

Five-star point guard Cole Anthony is, without question, the most highly regarded uncommitted prospect in the class of 2019.

At one point, the 6-foot-3, 184-pound standout had just about every major basketball program in the nation after him. He’s greatly reduced that number in the time since, eliminating all but six schools. Now, it’s just Georgetown, Miami, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oregon and Wake Forest that remain on his list.

And which program currently holds the edge in Anthony’s recruitment? At least one unnamed source emphatically claims it’s North Carolina, saying that he would be “shocked” if Anthony didn’t end up a Tar Heel.

Apparently, though, that source isn’t the only one that favors North Carolina as Anthony’s most likely destination.

The 247Sports Crystal Ball projects North Carolina as a 50 percent favorite to land the talented guard out of Oak Hill Academy. Oregon is currently in second-place, and accounts for 25 percent of votes. It’s worth noting that Director of Basketball Scouting, Jerry Meyer, cast his vote for UNC back in October.

As for Anthony, though, he’s given no indication of what school he might end up at. It’s a foregone conclusion, however, that his recruitment will carry on into the late stages of the current college basketball season. Given that it’s mid-December and Anthony hasn’t visited each of his six finalists, it’s entirely possible that he doesn’t make an announcement until the late signing period in April.

"“They’ve [UNC] been coming at me hard,” Anthony told FloHoops. “They’re not the only ones. Oregon, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Miami, and Georgetown have all been coming equally as hard. I can’t tip my hat off to any one school. They’re all obviously good situations, so I have no bias right now. I have no particular favorite. It’s been an awesome experience.”"

It’s no secret that North Carolina has missed out on the majority of its targets in the 2019 class, and a commitment from Anthony would be huge for Roy Williams and the Tar Heels. Anthony’s combination of speed, court vision, ball-handling skills and athleticism make him a perfect fit in Williams’ uptempo offense. He’s also a talented scorer from inside the arc, and possesses the leaping ability necessary to put defenders on a poster.

He’s currently the No. 3 overall prospect in the class of 2019 according to the 247Sports Composite, and has been lauded as one of the most talented players in his class. Some have even gone as far as tabbing him the top prospect in the class.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for more on the Tar Heels’ pursuit of Anthony, and everything UNC recruiting.