UNC Basketball: Will this Tar Heels’ target end up in SEC?

Roy Williams and his staff on the UNC Basketball program are hoping to land this five-star recruit in the 2021 class but will he end up in the SEC?

The UNC Basketball program has shown interest in five-star recruit Jabari Smith for months but it took a while for them to get to the next level of his recruitment.

It wasn’t until earlier this month when the Tar Heels officially offered the power forward, potentially changing things in his recruitment. Smith is one of the best players in the 2021 recruiting class, ranking No. 4 overall, No. 2 at his position and the top player in the state of Georgia by the 247 Sports Composite rankings.

With that offer from Roy Williams and the Tar Heels, the program is now considered a legit threat to land Smith. But where do they stand as we get set to hit the month of August and another recruiting dead period?

Smith was one topic that Rivals recruiting analyst Corey Evans talked about in his Twitter Tuesday column as he was asked about Smith teaming up with recruit JD Davison as a package deal. If that were to happen, it would be bad news for UNC as the duo would likely end up in the SEC:

"There definitely is a chance. Bruce Pearl has secured a five-star commitment the past two recruiting cycles and I don’t expect for that to change in 2021. Jabari Smith, who is the son of former LSU standout Jabari Smith Sr., visited the program over the winter and holds the Tigers high up within his school list. Tennessee is a school to watch, as is his father’s alma mater, the in-state Georgia Bulldogs, and North Carolina, the latter of which just offered."

Evans went on to say that he predicts Davison will end up at Auburn, which is a school high on Smith’s list.

Earlier in the month, three SEC schools were mentioned as top contenders for Smith as were the Tar Heels. It’s still early in the recruitment and while UNC’s offer may have changed some things, it feels like the Tar Heels do have to make up some ground in this recruitment.

For more on Smith and other UNC Basketball recruiting targets in the 2021 class, please check back with Keeping It Heel.