UNC Basketball: Will UNC be on Trevor Keels’ upcoming list of finalists?

Is the UNC basketball program on the chopping block for Trevor Keels? The 5-star shooting guard is set to cut his list in the coming days.

The North Carolina Tar Heels secured one of the nation’s top recruiting classes for the 2020 cycle, including a dynamic pair of guards that has their back court positioned very nicely for the upcoming season.

That duo features Caleb Love, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound point guard out of St. Louis, Missouri that has the chops to be the Tar Heels’ next NBA lottery pick. R.J. Davis is also part of that star-studded incoming freshman class, and he should have the opportunity to come in and make an immediate impact for the Tar Heels. So, too, will Anthony Harris, who is recovering from a season-ending ACL injury that he sustained in 2019. Davis and Harris, both shooting guards and former 4-star recruits, will offer the Tar Heels perimeter shooting and depth, conceivably for the next few years.

That hasn’t stopped Roy Williams from recruiting some of the nation’s top prospects at the shooting guard position, though; namely Virginia native Trevor Keels. A 5-star prospect ranked in the top-20 of the 247Sports Composite, Keels has the kind of star-power and elite shooting ability that the Tar Heels couldn’t pass up a commitment from regardless of their current depth at the position. But the potential questions that a Keels commitment could cause the Tar Heels in terms of rotation and minutes may never come to fruition.

As Rivals recruiting analyst Corey Evans writes in his latest Twitter Tuesday, Keels landing at North Carolina may be one of the more unlikely scenarios in his recruitment.

"“Trevor Keels is expected to narrow his school list to a final three in the coming days and while questions still remain as to who the third team will be, it is more of a two-team battle between Duke and Villanova,” Evans writes.The question is whether the backcourt is too full at either spot next season and if that would deter him from picking the respective program. Collin Gillespie will graduate in the spring but Justin Moore and Bryan Antoine will return, and an already loaded 2021 class will also enroll along the Main Line next year.At Duke, the Blue Devils are not recruiting any other guards in the 2021 class. Villanova has already landed Angelo Brizzi and Jordan Longino. However, DJ Steward and Jeremy Roach could also return for their sophomore seasons, which could muddle some things along the perimeter.Either way, both programs will make the cut; the final spot should be reserved for North Carolina or Virginia. The latter may be my pick right now thanks to their nearly three-year long recruitment of Keels compared to practically all others that have just been recruiting him as a priority for a little over a year now. Louisville, Michigan, Ohio State and UConn are also in the mix.”"

Evans clearly feels as if Duke and Villanova are the teams to beat for Keels, and that North Carolina may not even make it to Keels’ upcoming list of finalists. As Evans states, that third spot may belong to Tony Bennett and the Cavaliers thanks to their tireless recruitment of Keels that dates back nearly three years.

So, while the 6-foot-5, 210-pound Keels would be an excellent addition to the Tar Heels’ 2021 recruiting class — what with his tremendous size, scoring ability and overall upside — it simply may not be in the cards. Either way, we should find out in the coming days when Keels announces his list of finalists.

Keels is currently ranked No. 15 in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s first among shooting guards in the class, and No. 1 in the state of Virginia.

Keeping It Heel will continue to closely follow the Trevor Keels recruitment, and provide updates as they become available. Check back for more on that, and everything UNC basketball.