UNC Basketball: 5-star recruit hoping to hear from Tar Heels, blue bloods

A rising 5-star recruit from the class of 2023 is hoping to hear from the UNC basketball program, as well as Duke and Kentucky.

As Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels put the finishing touches on their 2021 recruiting class, and dive deeper into the class of 2022, the 2023 cycle is just around the corner.

They’ve extended just one scholarship offer to a 2023 prospect to this point — 4-star point guard Robert Dillingham of Charlotte, North Carolina — but that’ll soon change. Not only do they have a few players on their early radar, but there are no doubt a number of talented prospects with their sights set on North Carolina.

One of them is elite floor general and Alpharetta, Georgia native Kanaan Carlyle. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound point guard is a sophomore at Milton High School, and one of the top-ranked players in his class. A 5-star prospect from the moment that 247Sports compiled its composite ranking list for the 2023 class, Carlyle is the No. 15 prospect in the class, and third among players at his position. He’s also tops in the state of Georgia, and a player that the Tar Heels would love to have.

And it just so happens that Carlyle is hoping to hear from the Tar Heels. He said as much in a recent interview with Rivals recruiting analyst Dan McDonald, when he specifically named the blue blood from Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

But UNC fans shouldn’t get too carried away with the idea of Carlyle in those iconic argyle-trim uniforms, because his wish list also includes offers from Duke and Kentucky. Not only that, but he’s already holding offers from the likes of Auburn, Clemson, Florida and Georgia, so the Kanaan Carlyle recruitment may turn into more of a sweepstakes than anything else.

And it’s really no mystery why Carlyle will be one of the class’s most sought-after players. He’s got great speed and athleticism, and a versatile offensive game. His skill set includes a nice jumper from all over the court, and an uncanny ability to create his own offense. His quickness with or without the ball allows him to leave defenders behind, and he’ll change his shot in mid-air when he’s flying through traffic in the painted area. In addition to that, Carlyle should be a plus-defender at the collegiate level, particularly with his propensity for getting into passing lanes and stealing the ball.

It’s far too early in Carlyle’s recruitment to even speculate on where he might end up, but it’s safe to say that he’ll just about be able to pick where he wants to go. Within the next 12 months or so, he’ll likely have offers from most high-major college hoops programs.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the Kanaan Carlyle recruitment, and everything UNC basketball.