UNC Basketball: 5-star Bryce Thompson to North Carolina? Not so fast.

The UNC Basketball program continues to push hard for a commitment from Bryce Thompson, but the 5-star class of 2020 prospect may be headed elsewhere

Roy Williams and the North Carolina basketball program have had a big week, securing a commitment from one of the top front court players in the class of 2020 in Walker Kessler.

The 7-foot, 245-pound Kessler is joined in the Tar Heels’ 2020 class by long-time pledge and top-20 big man Day’Ron Sharpe. The pair of 5-star centers give North Carolina the most formidable front court duo joining the college ranks next year. They also represent the first two 5-star bigs to commit to the Tar Heels in the same recruiting cycle since Tyler Zeller and Ed Davis in 2008.

With the future of the North Carolina front court well in hand, the focus of the UNC coaching staff now moves to the Tar Heels’ other areas of need. One position that the Tar Heels could benefit from adding to next year’s roster is shooting guard, and one of their current recruiting targets would fill that void perfectly.

That player is Bryce Thompson, a 6-foot-5, 175-pound native of Tulsa, Oklahoma who’s firmly within the 2020 class’s top 25 players. A talented guard with good size and length for his position, Thompson is a good ball handler with a terrific offensive game. He can score from all over the court, run the break and create his own shot off the dribble. He’s also a good distributor, and a consistent threat to knock down shots from beyond the arc.

Thompson plays tenacious defense on the opposite end of the court thanks to his wiry frame and basketball savvy — which should allow him to guard multiple positions at the college level. And given the improvement that he’s shown over the past season, he doesn’t even appear to have reached his full potential yet.

Once thought of as a leader in the Thompson recruitment, and one of the more likely destinations for the 5-star shooter, North Carolina now seems to be on the outside looking in. That notion was confirmed recently by Rivals recruiting analyst Corey Evans, who clearly states that although the Tar Heels are still in play, they no longer look to be one of Thompson’s top two or three schools.

"Kansas’ recruiting outlook has changed following the NCAA’s notice of infractions,” Evans writes. “For five-star guard Bryce Thompson, for now, KU continues to be a legitimate landing spot as his visit to Lawrence remains in place for next weekend.However, while I had previously believed Kansas would be the eventual landing spot for Thompson, I changed my FutureCast prediction for him to Oklahoma. This is not a done deal by any means, but the recent allegations against KU could change some things.Don’t slight Oklahoma State, either, as he will take an official visit and much may ride on whether the Cowboys land Cade Cunningham. Coach Mike Boynton has developed a great relationship with Thompson and his family, which could also go a long way to landing the in-state recruit.The five-star’s final official visit scheduled is for Oklahoma on the weekend of Oct. 18. Arkansas, Michigan State and North Carolina remain involved, too, and Roy Williams is expected to complete an in-home visit with him sometime later next week.A decision is likely in the cards for later this fall leading to a signing in November."

So while it doesn’t look like the Tar Heels are standing at the forefront of the Thompson recruitment anymore, it is a positive sign that he and the UNC coaching staff are still in contact with each other. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that one Walker Kessler stunned the recruiting world when he shunned the Duke Blue Devils, among others, and committed to North Carolina in what has been called the biggest surprise of the 2020 class.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the Bryce Thompson recruitment, and everything UNC basketball.