UNC Basketball: This program is Tar Heels’ biggest threat for Greg Brown

Who poses the biggest threat for the UNC basketball program when it comes to 5-star prospect Greg Brown?

In an attempt to bolster their depth and talent in the front court, as well as get back to the traditional “two-big” system that they typically run, Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels have extended multiple scholarship offers to some of the top big men in the class of 2020.

With a commitment already secured from 5-star center Day’Ron Sharpe, North Carolina has offers out to five other bigs in the 2020 class. Three centers — Walker Kessler, Hunter Dickinson and Dawson Garcia — as well as top-20 power forwards Isaiah Todd and Greg Brown, have all received the call from Williams and company.

Brown, in particular, is a player that the Tar Heels prioritized some time ago, extending a scholarship offer to the sensational junior big man back in January. The 6-foot-9, 195-pound prospect out of Vandegrift High School in Austin, Texas — the top power forward in his class — already holds scholarship offers from more than a dozen schools. Auburn, Baylor, Kansas, LSU, Memphis, North Carolina, Texas, Texas A&M and UCLA are among them, and may be some of the favorites in his recruitment.

It’s the Longhorns, though, that may have the edge in Brown’s recruitment. Given the relationship that he’s built with Texas head coach Shaka Smart, and his proximity to the school — he lives just 12 miles from the university in Austin — Rivals recruiting analyst Eric Bossi thinks the Longhorns have the most to gain, and lose, when it comes to Brown’s recruitment.

"“We aren’t just talking about keeping a kid in his home state when we talk about the high-flying Brown and Texas,” Bossi writes. “We are talking about Shaka Smart and the Horns trying to keep a kid in his own city. Brown attends high school roughly 12 miles from UT, he has been on campus many times and is the kind of impact athlete who could do wonders.”"

Brown visited the UNC campus in March, and spoke highly of his time spent there. He’s said that he intends to make a return trip to Chapel Hill at some point, leading most to believe that the Tar Heels may be in the running for his commitment until the time of his announcement.

Brown plans to cut his list to around seven teams some time prior to August, and hopes to make a decision by the time his senior season begins later this year. Expect North Carolina and Texas to be among the teams on his condensed list, and don’t be shocked if he ends up in Austin or Chapel Hill next year.

Brown is the No. 6 prospect in the class of 2020 according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s the top power forward in the class, and the No. 1 player in the state of Texas.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the Greg Brown recruitment, and everything North Carolina basketball.