UNC Basketball: Analysts say these 2020 UNC targets are ‘hard to read’

Earl Timberlake

Earl Timberlake is another rising senior that’s approaching 5-star status as he nears the end of his high school basketball career. That’s about as much as we know about his recruitment for now, though, because despite Timberlake trimming his list of schools down to seven in July, nobody seems to have any idea where he might end up in the fall of 2020.

A 6-foot-6, 215-pound wing out of Hyattsville, Maryland, Timberlake is 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.

It’s that combination of size, strength and play-making ability that has each of the seven teams on Timberlake’s list — Alabama, Miami, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Providence, Seton Hall and South Carolina — clamoring for a commitment from him. He already took trips to Providence and South Carolina during his junior season, and has visits scheduled with Pittsburgh, Miami and Alabama over the next month. He’s expected to use his two remaining official visits on North Carolina and Seton Hall.

But as Rivals’ Corey Evans highlights, none of his finalists, nor any of the rest of us, have any clue which program is in the best position for a commitment from the top-30 prospect.

"“Who the heck knows what this dude [Timberlake] is thinking!? That is not just my two cents, but also what the seven programs that make up his final school list feel today,” Evans continued. “He originally visited Providence and South Carolina during his junior year, has visits scheduled for Alabama, Miami and Pitt for the coming weeks, and is also working on dates for North Carolina and Seton Hall.  I can promise you this — no one has a great feel or understanding of where they sit within his recruitment. The Gamecocks have taken on most of the talk in recent months but even that is difficult to be deemed credible. His five official visits this fall will likely define where he ends up but my guess is that we will not really know which way he is leaning until he makes his college decision.”"

As Evans stated, Timberlake’s recruitment is one that will likely be won and lost over the next couple of months as he takes official visits. I could see Timberlake cutting his list down one more time before making a final decision; a decision that could come some time this year, given the current trajectory of his recruitment.

Ranked No. 28 in the 2020 class according to the 247Sports Composite, Timberlake is the sixth-rated player at his position, and the No. 1 prospect from the state of Maryland. There are currently no predictions in his Crystal Ball, but look for that to change over the next month or so.