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UNC Basketball: Tar Heels get first commitment of 2021 recruiting class

By Blake Cockrum

CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts against the Davidson Wildcats in the first half at Dean Smith Center on December 29, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts against the Davidson Wildcats in the first half at Dean Smith Center on December 29, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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The UNC basketball program got its first commitment of the 2021 class on Saturday afternoon from 4-star wing Dontrez Styles.

After securing the No. 3-ranked recruiting class in 2020, Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels got their first pledge of the 2021 class on Saturday night when 4-star small forward Dontrez Styles announced his commitment to North Carolina.

"“He said he really believes I’m one of the best players in the country,” Styles said of head coach Roy Williams. “The (UNC coaches) love how versatile I am on both sides of the ball and believe I can be a great player at Carolina. He said he likes how hard I play, and he thinks I’m a well-mannered kid on and off the court.”"

Styles is a 6-foot-6, 205-pound junior from Kinston, North Carolina that had scholarship offers from Clemson, Georgetown, Maryland, NC State, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, VCU and Wake Forest, among others, prior to ending his recruitment nearly a year before he graduates from Kinston High School. Styles is ranked 57th in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite, and No. 1 in the state of North Carolina. His national ranking has improved by 64 spots since July of 2019.

A versatile forward that can play multiple positions, Styles can hit shots out to the three-point line, play tenacious defense and use his athleticism to impact the game’s final score in a myriad of ways. He plays with a tremendous amount of energy and effort, and would fit well into the Tar Heels’ fast-paced, up-and-down style of play. He’s a terrific rebounder, and uses his size well in the paint. His ball handing skills and ability to shoot beyond the arc are facets of his game that need some improvement.

Styles is the first No. 1-ranked in-state prospect to commit to UNC since Theo Pinson in 2014. He will be a great addition to a North Carolina roster that will likely boast a senior Leaky Woods and a sophomore Puff Johnson on the wing when he arrives on campus next year.

dark. Next. UNC's toughest competition for 5-star Kennedy Chandler?

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Dontrez Styles and the Tar Heels’ 2021 recruiting class.

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