UNC Basketball: Where do future Tar Heels rank in latest ESPN 100?

Where do future UNC basketball players rank in the latest ESPN 100?

Things in Chapel Hill, North Carolina are pretty ugly right now, at least as it pertains to the men’s basketball program. The Tar Heels are suffering their first losing record in better than 15 years, and if they finish with a sub-.500 record in 2020, it would be their first since an 8-20 season under former head coach Matt Doherty.

Meanwhile, however, the Tar Heels have a lot to look forward to with the nation’s third-ranked recruiting class for 2020. The class — which is the highest-rated at North Carolina in better than 10 years — features three 5-star players and a pair of 4-stars, led by Day’Ron Sharpe, Walker Kessler and Caleb Love. Also joining the Tar Heels in the fall are a pair of gifted offensive players in R.J. Davis and Puff Johnson.

The latest 2020 ESPN 100 that was released on Wednesday morning features all five members of the Tar Heels’ incoming freshman class in the top 55.

Sharpe leads the group, and is ranked No. 11 overall in the 2020 class. The 6-foot-10, 246-pound center from Montverde Academy was barely ranked inside the top 100 at the time of his commitment to the Tar Heels. In the months since, though, Sharpe has played outstanding basketball both for his high school, and on the AAU circuit. Look for him to come in and make an immediate impact in the UNC front court next season.

Kessler’s commitment to North Carolina last fall was a bit of a surprise. The 7-foot, 245-pound big man out of Atlanta, Georgia picked the Tar Heels over Auburn, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Gonzaga, Michigan, Tennessee and Xavier, among others. With him he brings a tremendous skill set that includes a variety of post moves, great hands and good footwork. He’s a good shooter from all over the court, and can stretch the defense with his three-point prowess. He’s ranked 14th in ESPN’s top 100.

Love, who’s ranked No. 17 in the new ESPN 100, is the Tar Heels’ heir apparent at point guard. Once Cole Anthony’s time in Chapel Hill is done, it’s Love who will take over the reins in the UNC back court. The 6-foot-3, 170-pound guard out of St. Louis, Missouri has great size, athleticism and scoring ability. He’ll have plenty of weapons at his disposal next season, and help shore up a UNC back court that has struggled with injury and inconsistency through its first 17 games this season.

Davis has moved up to No. 39 in the latest ESPN 100, and has been showing a tremendous amount of offensive firepower at Archbishop Stepinac this season. His upside is incredible, and he, along with Love, gives the Tar Heels a ton of star-power and depth in North Carolina’s back court. He’s averaging better than 26 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals per game this season.

Johnson, the younger brother of former UNC standout, Cameron, is 55th in ESPN’s latest rankings. A 6-foot-7, 185-pound small forward out of Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix, Arizona, Johnson was ranked No. 198 in the 247Sports Composite in September of 2018. He’s made huge strides in the time since, and has established himself as one of the better shooters in his class.

We know it’s a tough season North Carolina fans, but just hang in there. Help is on the way.