UNC Basketball: Trio of Tar Heels’ targets named standouts

A trio of UNC Basketball recruiting targets were named standouts during the USA Basketball Mini-Camp this week in Colorado

With most of the AAU tournaments wrapping up for Summer, besides the Adidas Championships, the focus now turns to camps. The USA Basketball Mini-Camp is one of the top camps running with over 70 high school prospects participating in Colorado.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have a few targets participating in the event which allows some of the best talent in the country to showcase their skills. The camp tipped off last week and will last through the weekend with various scrimmages and drills taking place.

On Friday, the campers participated in scrimmages for the first time and many recruiting analysts put out their lists of standouts.

For UNC fans, they will be happy to hear that three of their targets were named standouts in Rivals’ report on Friday’s practice. Recruiting analyst Corey Evans was in attendance and loved what he saw from point guard Caleb Love and shooting guards Bryce Thompson andD.J. Steward.

All three recruits have an offer from the Tar Heels as Roy Williams and his staff hope to address a big need on the perimeter.

Evans touted the point guard Love for his game making the most progression over time. Here is what he wrote on the recruit:

"Caleb Love has taken that next step with his game – and then some. Arguably the top standout from beginning to end on Friday, it was nice to see Love take a more vocal approach to things in Colorado Springs. No longer is he just the new kid on the block, but instead he is now a seasoned veteran that acts like he belongs, because he does."

Love is a five-star recruit that is ranked No. 25 in the recruiting class and No. 4 at his position per 247 Sports. It appears as if the Midwest will be the likely destination for the Missouri native as he has taken unofficial visits to Indiana, Kansas, and Louisville so far.

The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Love will take some more official visits before making his decision which could come in the Fall or Winter.

Earlier in the week we told you about the potential Blue Blood race between UNC and Kansas for Thompson Jr., as his recruitment is starting to pick up. The five-star combo guard is the No. 20 player in the class and has really elevated his play. Evans praised the recruit, calling him the best scorer at the event:

"A gifted three-level scorer that plays with loads of confidence, Thompson is just the type that can take over any game, thanks to how well he can put the ball through the basket. That he did on Friday evening, and while he was able to get to whichever spot on the floor he wanted, Thompson’s improved athleticism makes him even more of a difficult stop."

With a lot of interest from the Big 12, can UNC pull the Oklahoma native out of the Midwest and bring him to Chapel Hill?

The final recruit that Evans called a standout that is a UNC target is actually a player that the Tar Heels just recently started showing interest in. After an impressive showing at the Nike Peach Jam earlier in July, Chicago native D.J. Steward earned offers from both Duke and UNC in the matter of days.

Like Thompson Jr., Steward is another player that has seen a big jump in his game. Evans named Steward as the player with the “best instincts” at the event:

"There wasn’t a play that DJ Steward found himself out of. Steward, known primarily for his perimeter shot-making abilities, failed to find the mark on a number of his jumpers that he attempted on Friday. Instead, he made it a point to contribute in other facets of the game, whether that was coming up with a number of 50-50 balls, playing the passing lanes or rebounding against the bigger bodies in the lane."

With five-star center Day’Ron Sharpe verbally committed to the Tar Heels, UNC is really hoping to add at least one more player on the wing. As it stands now going into August, their best bet is probably finding a way to land Thompson Jr.

Love appears to be staying in the Midwest and Steward will likely end up at Duke. If UNC could land Thompson Jr., it could go a long way into fixing a void on the wing.

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