UNC Basketball: Day’Ron Sharpe will be impact player for Tar Heels from day one

At 6-foot-10 and 245 pounds, Day’Ron Sharpe won’t have any issues adjusting to the college game.

University of North Carolina basketball commit Day’Ron Sharpe tops the Tar Heels’ No. 3-ranked recruiting class as he currently sits at No. 11 on the ESPN 100 for the 2020 class. Without question, the Tar Heels have the best frontcourt in the NCAA for next season, and Sharpe is going to be a major part of that.

The 6-foot-10, 245-pound Sharpe has a great basketball body, and is extremely athletic. Both will benefit the Tar Heels on the defensive side of the ball. According to NCAA.com, UNC ranked 103rd in total blocks last season. That won’t be the case when Sharpe is the rim protector in Chapel Hill. North Carolina averaged 3.5 blocks per game last year. Sharpe may average that by himself.

Sharpe is a competitor who enjoys the spotlight, and plays winning basketball. He transferred to Montverde Academy for his senior season in search of the national spotlight, and he definitely found it. His team went 25-0, and finished the season as the highest-ranked high school team according to maxpreps.com. Throughout the season, Sharpe improved his stock to become a five-star talent on ESPN and 247sports. He’s the second-highest rated center in the class, and I’m sure Roy Williams and his coaching staff have been itching to get him in to campus.

He’s also equipped with a polished back-to-the-basket game that makes him extremely difficult for defenders to cover. His ability to finish in a variety of ways makes him lethal, and he’s known to finish through contact, so fouling may not be a viable option. His mid-range game isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough to make the defense respect him.

On top of all of this, he plays the glass exceptionally well. It doesn’t hurt that he has a 7-foot wingspan, and that his athleticism has him elevating over his competition. One thing I guarantee about next year’s Tar Heels is that they won’t struggle with rebounding. Sharpe appears to be all you can ask for in a big man. He will most likely spend the season coming off the bench, because Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot are both returning, but don’t be surprised if he starts a game or two.

UNC fans are going to love his presence and dominance on the court, but they also need to make sure to cherish every moment, because he’s likely just a one or two-year rental. His name has already been littered throughout different 2021 NBA mock drafts, so he could end up only playing one season in Chapel Hill.

The Tar Heels’ 2020 recruiting class is loaded with talent, and Day’Ron Sharpe leading the group should have every North Carolina fan ecstatic for the revival of the UNC basketball program.