UNC Basketball: Tar Heels still in hunt for 5-star recruit

The UNC Basketball program is still in pursuit of one of the top players in the 2020 recruiting class and some analysts are giving them a chance

Cade Cunningham is becoming one of the prized recruits in the 2020 recruiting class, being ranked as a top 3 player for months now. The five-star combo guard has elevated his play since the year started, doing so with impressive showings on the AAU circuit.

With Cunningham raising his stock, the North Carolina Tar Heels were among several teams showing significant interest in him. UNC offered him a few months back and just recently made his top 5 list along with Oklahoma State, Washington, Kentucky and Florida.

Cunningham has scheduled visits for the Fall with a decision coming after that and the possibility of him signing in the early period. But as he goes into his visits, one school has been identified as the favorites among the media.

Oklahoma State appears to be the favorites to land Cunningham as his brother was hired to Mike Boynton’s staff and the head coach has a great relationship with Cade. However, even if the Cowboys are the presumed favorites, don’t rule the Tar Heels out just yet.

In his Wednesday leftovers article on Rivals, analyst Corey Evans wrote on Cunningham’s recruitment and had something interesting to say about the Tar Heels:

"Oklahoma State has not backed away from chasing the very best in the 2020 class. Cade Cunningham is priority A, B and C, and while Mike Boynton has a great relationship with him and just hired his brother as an assistant coach, I still don’t think that the five-star is a done deal for OK State. Instead, I will say that it is 50 percent in OSU’s favor, with North Carolina holding a 40-percent chance. Washington is the darkhorse."

Evans wasn’t the only analyst to echo the thoughts that UNC could land Cunningham either.

CBS Sports’ analyst Gary Parrish wrote on Cunningham’s recruitment saying that it should be over with by now and he should be committed to the Cowboys. In his article he points out that both UNC and Kentucky aren’t giving up either despite that notion.

Here is what he wrote:

"Even more notable is how UNC’s Roy Williams and UK’s John Calipari each made it a priority Monday to visit Cunningham at Montverde Academy in Florida on what was the first day of the recruiting period. It was a development that suggested what multiple sources have told CBS Sports — that Cunningham has promised the schools pursuing him that he’s not a done-deal to Oklahoma State, and that the schools that remain involved in his recruitment believe he’s being sincere."

It’s good news that the Tar Heels are still making Cunningham a priority, signaling that they haven’t given up yet on landing him. The more they push mixed in with a good visit from Cunningham should help their chances when he’s ready to announce.

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