UNC Basketball: Top-50 UNC target Jalen Wilson visiting KU on Thursday
Top-50 UNC basketball target Jalen Wilson is in Lawrence, Kansas on Thursday for an official visit with the Jayhawks
Jalen Wilson, the North Carolina Tar Heels’ lone remaining target in the class of 2019, is in Lawrence, Kansas on Thursday for an official visit with Bill Self and the Jayhawks.
Kansas quickly emerged as a favorite to land Wilson after he requested a release from his national letter of intent with Michigan, and reopened his recruitment. So, too, did the Tar Heels, hoping to cash in on the top-50 prospect that opted out of playing for the Wolverines after longtime head coach John Beilein left Ann Arbor for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.
Some were convinced that Wilson was a likely Kansas commit, particularly because his friend and 5-star guard R.J. Hampton reclassified to the 2019 class in order to play for the Jayhawks this season.
Or so they thought.
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As it turns out, Hampton — who was, at one point, favored by nearly 90 percent of experts and analysts on 247Sports.com — opted out of college completely in favor of a year of professional basketball with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League.
With the late signing of 4-star small forward Tristan Enaruna, the now-eligible Silvio de Sousa and the return of starting point guard Devon Dotson — who pulled his name out of the 2019 NBA Draft on Wednesday — the Jayhawks’ roster doesn’t look quite as welcoming for Wilson. Throw in starting guards Ochai Agbaji and Marcus Garrett, as well as reserves David McCormack, Mitch Lightfoot, Christian Braun and Issac McBride, and guaranteed minutes won’t be a thing for anyone in Lawrence this season.
The same could be said about the Tar Heels’ roster, though, which boasts 5-star freshmen Cole Anthony and Armando Bacot, returning junior starter Garrison Brooks and a pair of sensational graduate transfers in Christian Keeling and Justin Pierce. Brooks and Anthony will undoubtedly be in North Carolina’s starting lineup, and let’s assume that Bacot is, too. But an argument can be made for all five.
The Tar Heels also have junior sharpshooter Brandon Robinson, sophomore guard Leaky Black and 4-star freshman guard Anthony Harris likely coming off the bench, potentially making minutes in Chapel Hill this year quite sparse.
That’s where Florida and Oklahoma State could come into play; both of which have the minutes to give Wilson the moment he steps on campus. He’s considering both schools, as well as keeping Michigan as a possible destination, thanks to the recent hire of former Wolverine and 18-year NBA veteran Juwan Howard.
After his visit with the Jayhawks, Wilson will be in Chapel Hill with Roy Williams and the Tar Heels on June 3-5. No date has been set for Wilson to announce a decision, but we anticipate one shortly after his trip to North Carolina.
It’s worth noting that Director of Basketball Recruiting for 247Sports, Evan Daniels, submitted his Crystal Ball prediction for Wilson on Wednesday. His prediction, though, is “undecided”. It’s a good sign for the Tar Heels that Daniels — who’s correctly predicted the destination of 179 out of 192 prospects — hasn’t picked Kansas like so many other experts have.
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