UNC Basketball: Analyst calls Tar Heels a dark horse for 5-star

The UNC Basketball program is called a ‘dark horse’ in the recruitment for a five-star forward in the 2020 recruiting class

The North Carolina Tar Heels have been in pursuit of five-star forward Greg Brown for months now in hopes of adding the elite recruit to their 2020 class.

UNC made the cut for Brown’s final list as the next step is to schedule and then take visits this Fall before making a decision. With that step still in progress, there is a lot of time left in Brown’s recruitment.

However, some recruiting analysts are starting to make their predictions and there is no love for the Tar Heels.

Rivals recruiting analysts Corey Evans, Dan McDonald and Russ Wood wrote their weekly roundtable article breaking down some of the top prospects in 2020. That included Brown as all three made their predictions and have the Austin, Texas native staying in-state and playing for the Longhorns.

Each one made their prediction for the question: Who is the favorite for five-star Greg Brown, and who would you name a dark horse?

While they all answered Texas as the favorite, one analyst did mention the Tar Heels as a dark horse in the race. Here is what McDonald had to say:

"I’d say Texas has the best shot at signing the five-star small forward. Shaka Smart has been recruiting him the hardest for the longest and has the family ties in his favor. If I had to pick a dark horse to keep him away from the Longhorns, it’d probably be North Carolina. The Tar Heels had him in town for the Duke game last year and made a strong impression. This one will be interesting to track over the next several months."

This isn’t the first time Texas and UNC have been considered the two favorites for Brown in his recruitment, either. McDonald talked about both team’s chances for Brown last week in a recruiting article as well.

Brown hasn’t taken an official visit to UNC yet but we should see him on campus sometime in the coming months. If the Tar Heels can make a good impression with the recruit in Chapel Hill, it could go a long way in landing the elite big man to pair with Sharpe.

For more on UNC Basketball recruiting targets, please check back with Keeping It Heel.