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UNC Basketball: What Tar Heels would get with 5-star Chet Holmgren

By Blake Cockrum

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 22: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on as they play against the Iona Gaels during the first half of the game in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 22: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on as they play against the Iona Gaels during the first half of the game in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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What the UNC basketball program would get with class of 2021 5-star center Chet Holmgren

After a 2020 recruiting haul that saw North Carolina bring in three 5-star prospects and the No. 3-ranked class in the nation, Roy Williams and the Tar Heels are hard at work on the class of 2021.

They’ve already extended scholarship offers to five high school juniors, all of which are ranked within the top-35 of the class. Among them is Chet Holmgren, a 7-foot, 190-pound big man with a versatile skill set that allows him to dribble, shoot, block shots and affect the opposition with his long, wiry frame. His length and wingspan help him in the paint on both ends of the court, but he’ll be even more effective once he gains additional weight.

Holmgren is an attractive prospect for Williams and the Tar Heels thanks in part to his ability to run the floor, both in the open court and running the fast break. That would bode well for a North Carolina team that’s prone to playing fast, and running often. He’s also got a nice jump shot out to the perimeter, good athleticism for a 7-footer and a great feel for the game.

The talented big man is averaging 16 points, 6.4 blocks and 1.9 assists per game, and has helped lead Minnehaha Academy to an 11-2 record this season. He’s being called one of the nation’s most unique players, which explains why coaches and scouts are watching him at just about every stop he makes. It’s also why he’s getting so much attention from some of the most prolific programs in college basketball.

He’s already got nearly 30 scholarship offers from the likes of Baylor, Florida, Florida State, Gonzaga, Kansas, Maryland, Memphis, North Carolina, Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M. And that list will continue to grow as time goes on. The Tar Heels joined that list in mid-January, and look to be making Holmgren a top priority in the 2021 class.

Holmgren is the No. 4 prospect in the class of 2021 according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s the top-ranked center in the class, and the No. 1 player from the state of Minnesota. ESPN, on the other hand, has Holmgren ranked second in the class, No. 1 among players at his position and tops in the state.

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Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the Tar Heels’ pursuit of Chet Holmgren, and everything UNC basketball.

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