UNC Basketball: Roy Williams hits recruiting trail, visits two 5-star players

Roy Williams hits recruiting trail following blowout loss to Louisville

North Carolina head coach Roy Williams was back on the recruiting trail last weekend after the Tar Heels’ disappointing home loss to Louisville on Saturday. The 2006 Hall-of-Fame inductee made two stops in two days, visiting a five-star prospect at each.

On Saturday evening, Williams visited class of 2020 power forward Isaiah Todd, who already holds scholarship offers from over 20 schools, including North Carolina. He’s also being courted by the likes of Kansas, Florida, Florida State, Miami, NC State, UCLA, Villanova and Wake Forest. And no doubt by the time his recruitment is over, he’ll have offers from just about every big name program in the country.

A native of Richmond, Virginia, the 6-foot-10, 200-pound Todd is currently a junior at Trinity Academy of Raleigh. His terrific combination of size, skill and athleticism, have already drawn comparisons to Chris Bosh and Kevin Durant. His seven-foot wingspan and standing reach of 8-feet-11-inches coupled with his tremendous quickness and speed in the open court make him a mismatch nightmare for opponents. Throw in the polished offensive game that he possesses, and Todd immediately separates himself from the pack.

Roy Williams and company began prioritizing Todd early on, making him one of their top targets in the 2020 class. His ability to run the floor, shoot from all over the court and create space for shooters with his size advantage in the post would mesh well with Williams’ patented high-octane offense. He’s also got a terrific work ethic and competitive edge that sets him apart from other big men in the class, making him an invaluable target for Williams and the Tar Heels.

The good news for Williams and company is that Todd has already shown an obvious interest in the University of North Carolina. The talented big man made two visits to Chapel Hill in a three-week time span, and many believe that the Tar Heels are the early favorite to land the elite forward.

Todd is the No. 13 prospect in the 2020 class according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s the No. 2 power forward in the class, and the top player from the state of Virginia. His Crystal Ball currently has the Tar Heels tabbed as a 50 percent favorite over Kansas and NC State.

Williams traveled to Florida the following day to visit with class of 2019 small forward Precious Achiuwa and his family, according to Adam Zagoria.

A 6-foot-9, 215-pound wing out of Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, Achiuwa has been getting attention from a lot of college basketball’s top programs, including Connecticut, Kansas, Florida State, Memphis, St. John’s and UCLA. He’s yet to take any official visits, but has made unofficial stops at Connecticut, Memphis, St. John’s and Western Kentucky.

Known for his tremendous athleticism, Achiuwa has great size and strength, particularly for his position. He’s a good ball-handler, a great dunker, and a good shooter from all over the court. He’s also capable of guarding multiple positions, and blocks a lot of shots for a player his size.

There’s no doubt that a player of Achiuwa’s caliber — in addition to five-star UNC commit Armando Bacot, and sophomore bigs Garrison Brooks and Sterling Manley — would make the Tar Heels’ front court one of the best in the ACC, if not the nation. A commitment from Achiuwa may be a long shot, at best, for the Tar Heels, though.

Connecticut has long been considered the favorite for Achiuwa, and remains that way according to 62 percent of Crystal Ball predictions from experts on 247Sports. Memphis, St. John’s and Syracuse have also received votes, and each account for 12 percent of the overall vote.

Achiuwa is the No. 9 prospect in the 2019 class according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s the second-ranked player at his position, and the No. 2 prospect from the state of New York.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest in North Carolina basketball recruiting.