UNC Basketball: Hunter Sallis to North Carolina? Highly unlikely.

The UNC basketball program could really benefit from an elite guard like Hunter Sallis, but it’s not likely that the 5-star prospect ends up in Chapel Hill.

There’s no question that the North Carolina Tar Heels have struggled this season with everything from youth and inconsistency to lack of adequate guard play and good decision-making to scoring the basketball and not turning it over. And in truth, that’s the condensed list.

One of the Tar Heels’ biggest problems, perhaps, is the true point guard that’s missing from their roster — a position of unquestioned strength for each of Roy Williams’ five Final Four teams since returning to Chapel Hill in 2003.

The program’s search for point guards similar to Raymond Felton, Ty Lawson and Marcus Paige in recent recruiting classes has proven to be quite futile, and their biggest weakness since the departure of Coby White in 2019. And even White, who had a terrific season with the Tar Heels that led to 29 wins and a regular season ACC title, wasn’t of the ilk of the aforementioned guards. He, too, was more of a score-first, pass-second player, similar to what we’ve seen the past two seasons with Cole Anthony and Caleb Love.

And although Hunter Sallis might not fit the mold of pure point guard that the Tar Heels seem to desperately need in Williams’ system, he and his coaching staff believe that the 5-star combo guard might be able to fill the role more aptly than anyone on their current roster. Unfortunately for the Hall-of-Fame head coach and his struggling squad of McDonald’s All-Americans, it’s unlikely that Sallis ever puts on a Carolina uniform.

According to Rivals recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy, the Covid-19 pandemic and the recruiting restrictions set in place in the months since cost the Tar Heels’ a real shot at getting a commitment from Sallis.

"“The pandemic may have hurt Carolina more than any other team in Sallis’ recruitment,” Cassidy writes. “Carolina was a major player in the pre-Covid days and was an absolute lock to get an official visit from the elite guard. Obviously, things changed quickly last spring and the Tar Heels saw their chances dwindle as the dead period continued. Roy Williams and company sit in third here. And while ruling UNC out of anyone’s recruitment is tough, it seems like a bit of a long shot here.”"

Still, Cassidy doesn’t completely rule them out, which is to say that he gives them somewhere between no chance and a snowball’s chance in hell. For now, and likely until Sallis’ recruitment is over, it’s Gonzaga and Kentucky that have the lead, and nobody, myself included, sees that changing.

So, although Sallis, an immensely talented, physically gifted 5-star prospect from the class of 2021, might be a great addition to the Tar Heels’ lineup next season, UNC fans shouldn’t get their hopes up. It’s a pipe dream that’s unlikely to come to fruition.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for future developments on the Hunter Sallis recruitment, and everything UNC basketball.