UNC Basketball: Tar Heels interested in former Virginia Tech commit?

Roy Williams, Tar Heels looking into former Virginia Tech signee Anthony Harris?

Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels have cast a wide net in search of immediate impact players to fill a myriad of holes on next season’s roster.

After losing starters Luke Maye, Kenny Williams and Cameron Johnson to graduation, as well as bidding farewell to fantastic freshmen Coby White and Nassir Little after just one season, the Tar Heels look to return only one of their starters from the 2018-19 season. That starter, soon-to-be junior power forward Garrison Brooks, will likely be joined in the starting lineup by incoming 5-star freshman center Armando Bacot, and long-time reserve wing Brandon Robinson, who showed a lot of promise during his third season in Chapel Hill.

A commitment from top-5 prospect Cole Anthony appears to be on the horizon, giving the Tar Heels a fourth starter — and much-needed reinforcements in their depleted back court — on next season’s squad. Even with a pledge from Anthony, though, the Tar Heels are still short a starter and a ton of depth in their rotation, which lost the majority of its experience and offensive production from last season.

Since White and Little announced their intentions to leave UNC for the NBA, Williams and company have been scurrying to find players both on the recruiting trail and on the transfer market to fill the holes left by the program’s first mass exodus since the spring of 2017 when Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks, Justin Jackson and Tony Bradley left after winning the national championship.

The Tar Heels have been keeping tabs on a number of transfer players including Akron graduate transfer Daniel Utomi, who’s overall experience and skill on the offensive end of the court could provide UNC with a viable fifth starter. Williams and his staff have also reached out to Little Rock graduate transfer Rayjon Tucker, who, like Utomi, could come in and make an immediate impact in Chapel Hill next season. And yet another possible transfer option for UNC, Christian Keeling, has also heard from the Tar Heels. A terrific offensive player out of Charleston Southern, Keeling could easily come in and nab a starting position at North Carolina next season.

The latest news, however, from Rivals recruiting analyst Corey Evans, is that North Carolina is showing interest in former Virginia Tech commit Anthony Harris. After former Hokies head coach Buzz Williams accepted the same position at Texas A&M, Harris requested a release from his national letter of intent to the school. The school granted his request, and Harris reopened his recruitment, stating that he would still consider Virginia Tech, but needed to fully weigh his options in light of the coaching change.

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Harris is a combo guard out of Paul IV Catholic in Fairfax, Virginia who’s known for his ability on the defensive end of the court. Before committing to the Hokies, Harris had offers from a number of schools including Cincinnati, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Louisville, Miami, Seton Hall and West Virginia, among others.

Harris is the No. 66 prospect in the class of 2019 according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s the eighth-ranked player at his position, and the No. 4 prospect from the state of Virginia.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Harris, and everything North Carolina basketball.