UNC Basketball: Who the Tar Heels must beat for Cam’Ron Fletcher

Who must the UNC basketball program beat out for the services of 4-star small forward Cam’Ron Fletcher

Roy Williams and the University of North Carolina have extended scholarship offers to better than a dozen players from the class of 2020, hoping to secure both the talent and depth to keep their place in the pantheon of elite college basketball programs for years to come.

Of the 2020 prospects currently holding offers from North Carolina — 13, plus 5-star center and UNC commit Day’Ron Sharpe — eight are of the 5-star variety, and five are 4-star players.

One of those rising 4-star prospects is top-40 wing Cam’Ron Fletcher. A 6-foot-7, 195-pound small forward out of Vashon High School in St. Louis, Missouri, Fletcher has scholarship offers from some of college basketball’s biggest programs including Iowa State, Kansas State, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, UCLA, Virginia Tech and Xavier. In addition to that, Fletcher told Inside Carolina that Duke, Kentucky and Louisville are recruiting him, too.

Fletcher is also being prioritized by local schools like St. Louis University and Missouri, the latter of which is thought to be in a pretty good position with him. In fact, it’s the Tigers that currently lead in Fletcher’s 247Sports Crystal Ball, though all of those predictions were made prior to this year.

And speaking of Missouri, it’s the Tigers who Rivals recruiting analyst Eric Bossi says need to sign Fletcher more than any other program in college basketball. Bossi recently touched on the Fletcher recruitment, noting how important he is for head coach Cuonzo Martin and the Tigers to keep home and away from the sport’s blue bloods.

"“First of all, Fletcher’s athleticism and ability to bulk up and be a power wing would appear to be a perfect fit for Cuonzo Martin,” Bossi said. “Also, Martin has had ample time to work Fletcher, who is a kid from St. Louis, a city that Martin knows well. Fletcher could be vitally important to the Tigers’ long-term success. The bluebloods have now come calling, and Martin has shown in the past that he can fend them off. Keeping Fletcher home would make a major statement.”"

The North Carolina coaching staff watched Fletcher play at the NBPA Top 100 Camp last week, and was impressed enough to extend an offer just three days later. In six games at the camp, Fletcher averaged 13.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. That was preceded by a successful spring in which he averaged 12.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 13 EYBL games for Brad Beal Elite.

Fletcher is an athletic, versatile wing that plays his best basketball from inside 20 feet. He’s good off the dribble, and excels at driving the lane for close buckets. He’s working on his outside shot, but it’s not where it needs to be to consider him a real threat from long-range. He’s a good rebounder and shot blocker for his position, and his length and quickness should help him to be a very good defender at the college level.

Fletcher is the No. 32 overall prospect in the class of 2020 according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s the No. 7 player at his position, and second in the state of Missouri.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the Cam’Ron Fletcher recruitment, and everything North Carolina basketball.