UNC Basketball: Tar Heels’ 2021 recruiting class could look a lot like this

Caleb Houstan

Unlike the Jabari Smith recruitment, the Tar Heels were one of the first college basketball programs to show interest in Caleb Houstan, and the very first to extend him a scholarship offer. That may be of value when decision time comes for Houstan, as his recruitment has now turned into a full-on battle between many of the nation’s top hoops schools.

Among the dozen or so schools that have offered him to this point are Arizona, Duke, Gonzaga, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Texas Tech and Virginia. That list will likely continue to grow in the coming months leading up to the time that Houstan cuts his list and sets an announcement date.

We currently have no indication of when that might be, but Rivals national recruiting analyst Corey Evans does have a pretty good feel for the current state of Houstan’s recruitment. In mid-August, Evans discussed the programs most heavily involved with the rising senior, and how the Tar Heels may have a leg up on the competition.

"“. . . Caleb Houstan is someone that the Heels have heavily recruited in recent months,” Evans said. “Houstan is a former high school teammate of incoming freshman Day’Ron Sharpe, and North Carolina is a school to watch for in the Canadian’s recruitment. A handful of other national powers are involved, too, including Alabama, Arizona, Gonzaga, Michigan and Oregon. And while Houstan is one of the few players on Duke’s recruiting board, UNC is in a better spot for the premier shot-maker.”"

It’s been discussed ad nauseam, but the Tar Heels are desperately seeking that game-changing wing prospect that they haven’t had the past few years. With Patrick Baldwin, Jr. looking like a pretty strong Duke lean, and Harrison Ingram seemingly favoring Purdue and Stanford, Houstan may be the Tar Heels’ best bet.

Houstan would certainly fit the bill for what Roy Williams and the Tar Heels are looking for. He can consistently knock down shots from beyond the three-point line, hit mid-range jumpers and finish above the rim. The 6-foot-8, 205-pound small forward may never be his team’s most effective ball-handler, but he continues to improve on his ability to hit open teammates with a pass, and runs the floor well in transition. He’s also capable of finishing in traffic, and throwing down an athletic dunk when the opportunity presents itself.

There are currently no Crystal Ball predictions or Rivals FutureCast picks for where Houstan will end up next year. But as high school and college basketball begin to get underway again, look for some of the questions surrounding Houstan’s recruitment to become more clear. And look for Roy Williams and the UNC coaching staff to keep the pressure on the competition as they aim to reel in one of the nation’s top perimeter players in the 2021 class.

The 247Sports Composite ranks Houstan as the No. 7 overall prospect in the class of 2021. He’s second among players at his position, and first in the state of Florida.