UNC Basketball: Tar Heels gaining momentum with D’Marco Dunn?

The UNC basketball program has been pushing hard for a commitment from 4-star shooting guard D’Marco Dunn. Are the Tar Heels leading the pack in his recruitment?

D’Marco Dunn has quickly become one of the Tar Heels’ primary and most realistic targets in the class of 2021. And despite an inability to physically recruit the 4-star shooting guard due to the NCAA’s indefinite recruiting freeze, it looks as if they may be picking up some momentum in recent weeks.

North Carolina picked up a Crystal Ball prediction for Dunn on Sunday afternoon from 247Sports contributor and Maryland Terrapins insider Jeff Ermann. That his pick came with a low level of confidence (3) speaks more to how quiet Dunn’s recruitment has been kept over the past several months than anything else. Nobody seems to have much of an indication as to where the rising senior might end up.

What’s more compelling for UNC fans is that the prediction comes from an insider of one of the schools recruiting against the Tar Heels. So while the pick may be somewhat premature and with a low level of confidence, Ermann obviously views North Carolina as the program to beat over the likes of Arizona, Marquette, Texas and others. It’s also worth noting that Rivals recruiting analysts Eric Bossi and Zach Berry have both tabbed North Carolina as Dunn’s most likely destination, too.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Dunn, a standout at Westover High School, moved to the East Coast from Tucson, Arizona prior to his junior season. He quickly established himself as the leader of a Westover squad that recorded a perfect 30-0 record last season. Dunn averaged 20.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, two assists and 2.7 steals per game as a junior. He also connected on 45 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

It’s Dunn’s smooth, high release that helps him knock down a good percentage of his shots from long-range. He’s improving as a ball handler, and can hit shots from the mid-range, too. He’s got speed in the open court, and runs the floor well on the fast break. He’ll also drive the lane, and finish strong in the paint when the opportunity presents itself.

Despite being ranked just 146th in the 247Sports Composite last summer, Dunn is up to No. 69 in the site’s most recent iteration of the standings. He is No. 14 among shooting guards, and second in the state of North Carolina. The Top247 ranks him slightly higher at No. 61 overall, and 12th among players at his position.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the D’Marco Dunn recruitment, and everything UNC basketball.