UNC Basketball: Cole Anthony to announce Tuesday morning

5-star prospect, UNC basketball target Cole Anthony set to announce college decision on Tuesday morning

Well, it all comes down to this.

When 5-star class of 2019 prospect Cole Anthony makes his announcement live on ESPN at approximately 8:50 a.m. EST Tuesday morning, it’ll mark the end of one of the most highly anticipated decisions from one of the nation’s most respected high school basketball players.

Anthony, a top-5 player in his class and the No. 1 point guard in the country, is choosing between Georgetown, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Oregon; a list of finalists that he announced on the last day of March. It’s believed by most — including some of the nation’s top recruiting analysts — that Anthony is primarily making his decision between two schools; North Carolina and Oregon. Anthony has said no such thing, though, showing no favoritism of any kind in the public eye.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Anthony is the son of former UNLV star and national champion, Greg Anthony, who played 11 seasons in the NBA for New York, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Chicago and Milwaukee. A senior at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, Anthony was named a member of both the McDonald’s All-American game and the Jordan Brand Classic.

Anthony is known for being an explosive guard with a quick first step that finishes well in transition, as well as in the paint. He’s terrific with the ball in his hands, and can create his own shot, whether it be at the rim or in the mid-range. He’s also greatly improved his effectiveness as a three-point shooter, and plays tenacious defense on the opposite end of the court. His speed, athleticism and basketball I.Q. make him a dangerous player both on offense and defense.

North Carolina is a 93 percent favorite to land Anthony according to his 247Sports Crystal Ball. Both Jerry Meyer and Evan Daniels — two of the site’s most well-known and reliable recruiting analysts — have both picked the Tar Heels as the team that Anthony will choose to play for in what will likely be his only year of college basketball before entering the 2020 NBA Draft as a sure-fire lottery pick.

As for my two cents, I think Anthony picks North Carolina thanks in part to a terrific season — as well as subsequent departure — from UNC freshman point guard Coby White. White, much like Anthony projects to do, was given a green light from just about anywhere on the court at any time, and played the fourth-most minutes on the team behind senior starters Luke Maye, Kenny Williams and Cameron Johnson.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for complete coverage of the Cole Anthony commitment on Tuesday morning, as well as everything North Carolina basketball.