UNC Basketball: Tar Heels still have shot at 2020 prospects Williams, Walton?

Does the UNC basketball program still have a shot at class of 2020 prospects Ziaire Williams and Kerwin Walton?

Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels are struggling this season, to say the least. Without their five best players from a season ago, an injury to their leading scorer this year and loads of inexperienced reserves stepping into big roles, the Tar Heels have lost 10 of their last 14 games.

But nobody is feeling sorry for a program that’s gone to five Final Fours in the last 15 years, winning national titles on three of those occasions. Not only that, but North Carolina is set to bring in one of the best freshman classes in the nation next season. The Tar Heels’ No. 3-ranked recruiting haul boasts three 5-star players, and a pair of 4-stars that we expect to see in a North Carolina uniform for at least a couple years a piece.

And although they’re currently out of scholarships to offer for next season, the Tar Heels may not yet be done recruiting the class of 2020.

Williams and company are still in the hunt for a wing shooter in the class, something that’s largely eluded them to this point, and on the current UNC roster. While they do have five recruits in the top-60 coming to Chapel Hill in the fall, none — other than maybe 6-foot-7, 185-pound Puff Johnson — are prepared to come in and fill that role. I’m not certain whether or not Johnson is ready for that big of a role in year one with the Tar Heels, though, and even if he is, the roster will still be very thin at that position.

That’s where Ziaire Williams and Kerwin Walton come in to play.

Williams, a 6-foot-7, 175-pound small forward from Chatsworth, California, would likely be a starter on next season’s Tar Heels. He’s got the skill, length, athleticism and more to come in and be the difference-make that North Carolina currently lacks on the perimeter. Williams has North Carolina among his list of finalists — which is composed primarily of West Coast teams.

For some time now, recruiting analysts and pundits have counted the Tar Heels out, mostly because of their current scholarship limitations. The longer that Williams’ recruitment draws out, though, makes everyone wonder if the Tar Heels are still in a decent position with the 5-star wing. A number of things could happen to free up space for Williams on next year’s team. For example, a current scholarship player could leave unexpectedly, or somebody could give up a scholarship in order to bring in another top-tier recruit. It wouldn’t be the first time that either of these scenarios has taken place.

Things are a bit different with Walton, however. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound shooting guard from Hopkins, Minnesota is ranked just inside the top-100 of the 247Sports Composite for 2020. But even though his recruitment isn’t as hot as that of Williams, there’s tremendous value in a player like Walton. He’s widely considered one of the best pure shooters in the class, and he’s got great size for his position. Rivals recruiting analyst Eric Bossi recently touched on Walton’s recruitment, noting what a gifted shooter he is.

"“In my mind, Kerwin Walton is the best shooter left on the board,” Bossi writes. “I know there are higher ranked guys available, but Walton is a big-time jump shooter. Not only can the 6-foot-5 wing from Minnesota really shoot it, but he is a crafty defender who has some toughness to him.Walton saw Arizona and North Carolina officially during the fall and both were in to see him in the last week. Recently, he’s made a couple of trips to Minnesota for unofficial visits and Arkansas and Oklahoma have been in. If I had to handicap it, I’d give Arizona the lead but Walton isn’t giving out many hints just yet.”"

As is the case with Johnson, I’m not certain that Walton comes in and takes over a starting spot from day one. While he is an excellent shooter, there are other parts of his game that still require some additional development. He would, however, give the Tar Heels a terrific shooter to bring in off the bench, and added depth to a team that desperately needs it.

As Bossi mentioned, there’s no definitive information alluding to where Walton will commit this spring. The Tar Heels continue to keep an eye on him, though, and both parties appear to share mutual interest.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the Tar Heels’ recruitment of Ziaire Williams and Kerwin Walton, and everything UNC basketball.