UNC Basketball: Pair of UNC targets aiming at package deal?

A pair of UNC basketball targets are looking at a number of the same schools. Are they aiming for a package deal when they arrive on campus next fall?

With the 2020 recruiting cycle nearly complete, and the nation’s No. 3-ranked class already in tow, Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels are focused heavily on the class of 2021 and beyond.

Williams and company have their sights set on a number of highly touted prospects in next year’s class, five of which have already received scholarship offers from the Tar Heels. Among them are Paulo Banchero and Kennedy Chandler, a pair of top-15 recruits that have a number of the same schools on their respective lists. The 5-star prospects hold nearly 50 offers between them, and both have heavy interest from Duke, Kentucky, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma and USC.

Rivals recruiting analyst Corey Evans discussed the two players in a recent blog post, noting their potential college destinations, and the likelihood that they end up at the same school next year.

"“Carolina will have a say [with Banchero] but my gut says that it comes down to Duke, Kentucky and Tennessee,” Evans writes. “Banchero has also established a great relationship with five-star guard Kennedy Chandler where both visited UT during the same weekend in the fall. Duke and Tennessee have the best chance with Chandler, while Kentucky might be the slight leader for Banchero. Could the two play together in college? There is a chance which is why it could be a dead heat with plenty of storylines to follow regarding where the best point guard and best power forward land and if they decide to pick the same university.”"

Banchero, a 6-foot-9, 235-pound power forward at O’Dea High School in Seattle, Washington, is the No. 4 prospect in the class of 2021 according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s the top-ranked player at his position, and No. 1 in the state of Washington.

Chandler is a 6-foot-1, 160-pound point guard from Memphis, Tennessee. He’s the No. 15 prospect in the class of 2021 according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s the second-ranked player at his position, and the No. 2 prospect in the state of Tennessee.

There’s no telling how long it’ll be before either of the two players makes a college decision, but for the time being, we’ll assume that both Banchero and Chandler visit the Tar Heels somewhere down the line. It’s fairly safe to say that Duke, Kentucky and Tennessee will get the same treatment.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the Tar Heels’ pursuit of Paulo Banchero and Kennedy Chandler, as well as everything UNC basketball.