UNC Basketball: Tar Heels have a shot at Earl Timberlake, analyst says

The UNC basketball program is targeting 4-star class of 2020 prospect Earl Timberlake, and has a good shot at nabbing him according to one recruiting analyst

The North Carolina Tar Heels have already secured a 5-star commitment from class of 2020 center Day’Ron Sharpe, and have scholarship offers out to more than a dozen other top-50 prospects.

Of the 13 players in the 2020 class holding a UNC offer, eight are 5-star prospects and five are rising 4-stars on the cusp of 5-star status. One of those up-and-coming UNC targets is DeMatha Catholic senior Earl Timberlake.

Timberlake is a 6-foot-6, 215-pound small forward out of Hyattsville, Maryland, and current teammate of fellow UNC target Hunter Dickinson. He’s already holding nearly 30 scholarship offers from some of the most prestigious college basketball programs in the nation. Cincinnati, Florida, Kansas State, Maryland, Louisville, North Carolina, Ohio State and Virginia Tech are just a few. He’s also being heavily recruited by a number of schools in the Northeast like Bryant, Georgetown, Howard, Providence and Rhode Island.

Rivals recruiting analyst Corey Evans recently touched on the Timberlake recruitment, naming some of the contenders for his commitment and what a recent UNC offer did to potentially change the outcome.

"“The top 30 wing took early official visits to Providence and South Carolina and hasn’t had a problem finding quality college suitors,” Evans writes. “Alabama, Georgetown, Louisville and Pitt are just a few others that have invested time in recruiting him, but the past few weeks have been a blur for him. He did an awesome job of boosting his stock this spring on the Nike EYBL circuit, due to his size, ball skills and toughness in the back court. However, his time at the NBPA Top 100 Camp – and then during the first high school camp session last weekend – skyrocketed his recruitment. Cal and Miami came in with offers, but the one received by North Carolina could really change things. Timberlake has never been in a rush with things and he is one of the more even-keeled kids around, but receiving a UNC offer might have blown his recruitment wide open – with no end in sight.”"

Known for his tremendous size and chiseled physique, Timberlake is a strong, powerful wing with plenty of athleticism and play-making abilities. He can create his own shot, but works best inside the three-point line. He’s an explosive, versatile player on both ends of the court, and should be able to play and defend multiple positions. He’s a capable passer and excellent rebounder, too, and can run the break very well.

Ranked No. 30 in the 2020 class according to the 247Sports Composite, Timberlake is the sixth-best player at his position, and the No. 2 prospect from the state of Maryland. There are currently no predictions in his Crystal Ball, and his recruitment looks to be pretty wide open.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the Earl Timberlake recruitment, and everything UNC basketball.