UNC Basketball: Tar Heels’ 2021 recruiting class could look a lot like this
D’Marco Dunn
D’Marco Dunn was a 3-star recruit ranked just inside the top-150 of the 247Sports Composite in mid-June, but fast forward three months and a lot more national exposure, and he’s up to No. 78 in the site’s latest list of 2021 prospects.
Dunn’s prior ranking didn’t stop North Carolina head coach Roy Williams from extending him a scholarship offer. Williams did so back in May, proceeding offers from a number of other big-name schools such as Arizona, Louisville and Texas. It’s safe to say that the 70-year-old Hall-of-Fame head coach is a good evaluator of talent, but he’s also a tremendous recruiter. That might be part of the reason that Dunn, to this point, is expected by most to commit to Williams and the Tar Heels.
We don’t know exactly when his recruitment will come to a close, nor can we for sure say that he’ll pick the Tar Heels, but we do know that they are one of the major players for his commitment. It’s safe to say that Arizona, Clemson, Georgia, Louisville, Texas and Vanderbilt will play a part in his recruitment, too, as they were among the seven finalists that Dunn announced in late August. Having said that, it’s North Carolina that appears to be in the driver’s seat for Dunn’s commitment.
https://twitter.com/dmarcodunn/status/1297564489919930369
That’s a good thing for the Tar Heels, particularly with the uncertainty at the point guard position. Sure, they have an elite incoming freshman floor general in Caleb Love, but who’s to say that he remains in the college ranks beyond the spring of 2021? Love has the kind of skill, athleticism and basketball I.Q. to be a one-and-done player, much like his two most recent predecessors at North Carolina, Coby White and Cole Anthony.
With Dunn in tow, the Tar Heels would have another guard on their roster with sufficient ball-handling and distribution skills in the event that Love leaves UNC after just one season. Dunn could work alongside incoming freshman guard R.J. Davis in that scenario. Davis and Dunn may both be better suited for the shooting guard position, but they’ll be more than serviceable if Williams calls on them to jump into the role of point guard.
That kind of versatility could be important for the Tar Heels in the seasons ahead. So, too, could their potential to stay in college multiple years. While both Davis and Dunn are talented guards that have a lot to offer at the college level, both project as multiple-year college athletes.
The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Dunn has a smooth, high release that helps him knock down a nice 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.
A standout at Westover High School, 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 in helping his team to a perfect 30-0 record.