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UNC Basketball: Analyst predicts where top UNC recruiting targets will go

By Blake Cockrum

CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts against the Davidson Wildcats in the first half at Dean Smith Center on December 29, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts against the Davidson Wildcats in the first half at Dean Smith Center on December 29, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TX – FEBRUARY 27: Head coach Mike Boynton of the Oklahoma State Cowboys reacts to an officials call during the second half of the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on February 27, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma State 84-80 in overtime. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

Cade Cunningham

"“Unless you’re living under a rock, you know by now that the top-ranked guard’s brother, Cannen Cunningham, was hired by Oklahoma State earlier this summer in an assistant coaching capacity,” Evans writes. “The majority of the time, this would lead to the commitment of the prospect at hand, but that has not been the case.  Cade Cunningham has been unwilling to budge on his previous statements that he is relatively wide open with his college landing spot. Defeating the Cowboys will still be difficult. Their position is only aided by Cunningham’s strong relationship with head coach Mike Boynton.  Cunningham is in the middle of scheduling all of his five official visits for the fall and will definitely sign in the early period. Oklahoma State is the favorite and Florida, Kentucky and Washington remain in the picture, but keep an eye on North Carolina, as the Tar Heels are the sneaky dark horse.”"

Evans highlights Oklahoma State’s hiring of Cade Cunningham’s brother, Cannen, which we’d argue is a huge factor in the 5-star guard’s recruitment. Evans is clinging to Cunningham’s claim that his recruitment is ‘wide open’, though, and that each of his five finalists — Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma State and Washington — is a legitimate possibility at this point.

In addition to that, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Boynton has cultivated a good relationship with Cunningham, and the Cowboys have been involved in his recruitment for as long as any program.

Those are hurdles that the other four teams on Cunningham’s list are going to have to overcome. And it won’t be easy. Now, that’s not to say it’s not possible, because it is. But if I were betting on the school most likely to land the consensus top-5 prospect, it would be Oklahoma State by a wide margin.

Evans feels strongly enough about the Tar Heels’ chances with Cunningham that he calls them a ‘sneaky dark horse’, but I simply don’t buy North Carolina as an even semi-probable landing spot in 2020.

Oklahoma State is leading Cunningham’s Crystal Ball with an overwhelming 100 percent of the vote, including that of 247Sports Director of Basketball Recruiting, Evan Daniels. For what it’s worth, Daniels has correctly picked 17-of-17 commitments for class of 2020 players, and nearly 94 percent all-time.

A 6-foot-6, 215-pound combo guard from Arlington, Texas, Cunningham is the No. 2-ranked prospect in the class of 2020 according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s the No.1 combo guard in the class, and tops in the state of Texas.

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