UNC Basketball: Analyst says UNC likely landing spot for this 5-star PF

UNC basketball program remains strong possibility for 5-star class of 2020 prospect, national recruiting analyst says.

National recruiting analyst Corey Evans confirmed on Tuesday morning what we’ve thought for quite some time; North Carolina remains a likely destination for 5-star class of 2020 prospect Greg Brown.

Despite having a commitment from 5-star big man Day’Ron Sharpe, and junior power forward Garrison Brooks and incoming freshman center Armando Bacot already on the roster, North Carolina has scholarship offers out to five big men in the 2020 class. Brown is one of them, and he’s joined by top-40 centers Walker Kessler, Hunter Dickinson and Dawson Garcia, as well as 5-star power forward Isaiah Todd.

Roy Williams and the UNC coaching staff offered Brown a scholarship back in January, and have prioritized him as much as any player in the class, putting themselves in a great position with the talented big man.

As Evans highlights in his latest Twitter Tuesday, though, Brown won’t be an easy get for Williams and the Tar Heels. They’re currently competing with some of college basketball’s most prestigious programs, as well as a handful of the game’s best recruiters.

"“Much of the talk with Greg Brown has revolved around North Carolina and Texas, which is fairly accurate,” Evans writes. “The Tar Heels have been a strong landing spot for the explosive athlete and with UT, the local program, no one has developed a stronger relationship with Brown and his family than Shaka Smart.However, Memphis is a major dark horse thanks to the relationship that Penny Hardaway and Mike Miller has cultivated with him and his family. Don’t be surprised if they receive an official visit from him. Baylor has done just as good of a job in recruiting Brown compared to anyone else and should not be discounted in the race for him, and neither should Auburn, who could put together potentially a top-five class this fall.Still, Texas and UNC are the likeliest destinations for Brown, but if anyone can grab him besides the two, watch for Memphis as they have found some traction in the pursuit of the top-10 standout from Texas.”"

Brown’s Crystal Ball is 100 percent in favor of Texas, though a couple of the four votes are old enough to be considered obsolete at this point. Still, though, it seems like Texas is the team to beat in Brown’s recruitment, given the relationship that he’s built with Longhorns head coach Shaka Smart, and his proximity to the school — he lives just 12 miles from the university in Austin.

If I were putting odds on Brown’s recruitment, I’d give the Longhorns a slight edge over the Tar Heels. If Brown leaves the state of Texas, however, I think North Carolina becomes an overwhelming favorite against the other out-of-state schools on his radar. We’ll know a little bit more when he releases a list of finalists — something we should expect to happen within the next couple of months — and begins taking official visits to his prospective schools.

Brown is the No. 8 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.